Transforming Golden Arrows: Manqoba Mngqithi's ambitious plans for 2025/26

Manqoba Mngqithi has committed to building a long-term project at Golden Arrows, with wholesale changes expected at the club ahead of the 2025/26 Betway Premiership season.

The 54-year-old coach, who returned to the KwaZulu-Natal outfit in March following his departure from Mamelodi Sundowns in December, has wasted little time in reshaping the squad and technical team. 

Arrows ended the previous campaign in 12th position, securing 31 points from 28 matches.

Mngqithi’s return to the club that helped launch his professional coaching career has signalled a renewed sense of ambition in Durban. 

After spending over a decade at Sundowns, where he played a significant role in their domestic dominance, his decision to rejoin Arrows indicates a desire to build something sustainable.

In one of the club’s recent documentaries, Mngqithi outlined his vision, which includes the dream of delivering Arrows’ first-ever league title—adding to the 2009 MTN8 triumph, which remains the club’s only major trophy to date.

His long-standing connection with the club has been a driving force behind his commitment to the project.

Behind the scenes, changes are already being implemented. Arrows have brought in Yardaan Valodia as part of their technical team. 

The 20-year-old analyst arrives from Mamelodi Sundowns and was part of the South Africa U20 setup that won the U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Cairo last month.

Valodia, one of the youngest performance analysts in the country, joined Sundowns at the start of last season and quickly adapted to the demands of the elite level. 

His close working relationship with Mngqithi appears to have played a role in his move to KwaZulu-Natal.

The decision to bring in such a young yet experienced figure points to Mngqithi’s intention to modernise Arrows’ technical approach, blending experience with innovation and data-driven planning—an approach he was exposed to during his tenure at Chloorkop.

On the playing side, several players have been released as part of the restructuring process. Kagiso Malinga, Sifiso Mlungwana, Nkosi Gumede, Ryan Moon, and Puleng Tlolane are among those who are said to have parted ways with the club.

Mngqithi had been linked with several coaching vacancies following his exit from Sundowns, but his continued presence at Arrows reflects a commitment to long-term development over short-term opportunity.

With backroom adjustments underway and the playing squad beginning to take shape, Golden Arrows are aligning themselves with Mngqithi’s vision—one that focuses on tactical refinement, squad balance, and the ambition to elevate the club’s standing in South African football.

As preparations intensify ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, there is a clear sense that a new chapter is beginning at the Mpumalanga Stadium—one that places Arrows on a path of transformation under a coach who knows the club’s DNA better than most.