MBABANE – Ambitious!
That is the defining word for newly appointed MTN Premier League outfit Moneni Pirates Coach Mathews ‘Chaka Chaka’ Mandlazi. The former Manzini Wanderers and Denver Sundowns player was unveiled to the ‘Sea Robbers’ of Moneni ahead of their goalless draw with Green Mamba, an announcement made on the club’s official Facebook page. Mandlazi was an interested spectator at the Mavuso Sports Centre. According to the statement posted by the team, the legendary Mozambique striker joins the team on a short-term contract.
While the finer details of the contract were expectedly kept secret, it was reliably gathered that the coach might be on board for only one month. His appointment finally ended speculation about the potential candidate to lead the Menzi ‘Magawugawu’ Simelane-captained outfit following the resignation of Meck Mwase.
The former Malanti Chiefs mentor noted that the team performed well during the match against Inyoka’eluhlazane and were unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty, as well as failing to convert the scoring opportunities they created. “I saw many positives in the game rather than negatives. I will work on improving what I saw as negative points, but there is not much to change. Young players have a big margin for learning,” Mandlazi said.
He then revealed his huge ambitions for the club: winning the holy grail of local football. He stressed that there are still many games remaining before the curtains fall on the 2025/26 season. “As long as, mathematically, the chances of winning the league are still there, my dream is to finish on top of the log,” he stated.
Mandlazi added that while finishing in the top three bracket is seen as success, and achieving a top-eight position is commendable, every club’s ultimate dream is to finish ahead of the rest in the league.
Mandlazi confirmed that for now, there are no immediate plans to sign players from Mozambique, but he will assess the necessity as the season progresses. The former Kaizer Chiefs player, who also had playing stints in Portugal and Qatar, is set to make his debut as Pirates coach this coming Sunday against Royal Leopard.
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