Mngqithi finds positives in Arrows’ recent defeats

Golden Arrows coach Manqoba Mngqithi is pleased with the progress his side has made this season, and he is optimistic about the future.

Despite ending the year with four successive defeats to AmaZulu, TS Galaxy, Orlando Pirates and Marumo Gallants, Mngqithi was not concerned about those losses, saying he saw a lot of positives rather than negatives.

“[I’m] excited with the progress that the boys are making, and I can see the direction the team is taking, looking at the youngsters that I introduced,” Mngqithi told the media after their 1-0 defeat to AmaZulu at King Zwelithini Stadium on Tuesday.

“I was impressed when I saw these players, how they are playing, and the future is good. I’m excited because I see a huge difference in the team in many things.

“Starting from offensive play, I think there is tremendous improvement in that regard. When I compare this first round of 14 games in the league and three that we played in the [Carling Knockout] cup, looking at the whole season last year, where we scored 21 goals in 30 games.

“This term, we’ve scored 26 goals in 17 matches, and that for me is a very big positive, but an area that we must work very hard on is our defensive play.

“We’ve conceded a lot of goals from individual errors that have cost the team the results in many instances. We can sort that out. I’m excited because I know the area where I need to work hard.”

Mngqithi said he is not looking at results for their improvement but at how they have been playing, and that he hopes they have learnt their lessons as they go into the Africa Cup of Nations break.

“You know football is the game of results that determines the fate of the club. It is easy to look at the last four games and say ‘we didn’t do well’,” he said.

“But if you look at those games, you will say we didn’t deserve to lose against TS Galaxy, AmaZulu, [or] even against Pirates. We did not deserve to lose against Marumo Gallants.

“We’ve learnt our lessons; let’s see if we will grow in the second round, but where I’m sitting, I see a lot of positives rather than negatives.”

Sowetan