Lamontville Golden Arrows coach Manqoba Mngqithi remains positive despite his side’s recent setbacks. LAMONTVILLE Golden Arrows head coach Manqoba Mngqithi chose to search for silver linings amid turbulences early in a year, even as his side were edged 1–0 by Kaizer Chiefs in Tuesday night’s Betway Premiership encounter. Aiden McCarthy’s maiden PSL goal proved decisive and compounded Abafana Bes’thende’s recent struggles.
Since their emphatic 4–0 victory over Marumo Gallants at the beginning of November, the KwaZulu-Natal outfit have now slipped into a four-match losing streak, a run that has placed their top-eight ambitions under increasing threat. Arrows have often shown enterprise without reward this season, and once again found themselves reflecting on missed opportunities. While controversy surrounded the goal they conceded, the visitors also failed to capitalise on several promising moments — a recurring theme that has continued to undermine their progress.
Despite the frustration of defeat — Arrows’ ninth of the campaign — Mngqithi chose to highlight aspects of the performance that encouraged him, particularly given the context of the fixture. “I was excited with other aspects of the game, and you must remember we are playing against Chiefs on their home ground in their first match of the calendar year,” Mngqithi said at the post-match press conference. He acknowledged that the hosts’ desperation, following their own run without a win, played a significant role in shaping the encounter.
