Golden Arrows assistant coach Kagisho Dikgacoi has laid bare their intentions to unleash 15-year-old midfield sensation Mlondi “Iniesta” Mtshali in the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) in the coming weeks. Dikgacoi also doubles up as Arrows’ DDC coach.
Dikgacoi has urged Arrows DDC players to ensure that Mlondi gets his chance soon by winning games. Arrows are at the bottom of the DDC table with 11 points from 13 games.
“We brought him [Mlondi] in here [in the team’s dressing room during their 1-all draw against Durban City over the weekend] today because he’s closer to the team. He has grown in confidence... you’ll never win the ball off this guy. It’s unfortunate that he’s not with this team yet,” Dikgacoi told the Up Back Through podcast, which handles Arrows’ social media pages, over the weekend.
Arrows snatched the wonderkid, who was doing grade 8 at JG Zuma High School in Bester last year, from amateur side Brotherhood, based in his township, KwaMashu, in Durban, last November. Mlondi, who started off at Arrows’ Under-19 side, has been training with the side’s DDC team lately, edging closer to getting his opportunity there.
“For us to confidently say that next week or the week after we play him, it’s because you [DDC team players] would have taken us out of the position we are currently in. So, it all depends on you. If we don’t win games, you are failing him. You must all give your best so that Iniesta can play very soon,” Dikgacoi stated.
Arrows hope to eventually promote Mondli to the first team to follow in the footsteps of several current first-team players who came through their DDC stream, like skipper Nduduzo Sibiya, Philani Khumalo and Sabelo Sithole.
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