Ncikazi Refuses to Discuss Relationship With Ouaddou

Golden Arrows head coach Mandla Ncikazi has neither confirmed nor denied that his relationship with Abdeslam Ouaddou, head coach at Orlando Pirates, broke down, according to iDiski Times.

Ncikazi left Pirates last month. Pirates won the treble in the 2025/26 season. Speculation about tensions between Ncikazi and Ouaddou was reported to be among the reasons for his departure. Ouaddou has dismissed that talk himself, saying people wanted to create controversy where there was none.

A vague answer after the Sundowns defeat

Ncikazi was asked to clarify the matter after Arrows were knocked out of the Carling Knockout Cup by Mamelodi Sundowns in the quarter-final in Tshwane on Tuesday. His answer was vague. He said every institution has its own challenges and that, even if there were problems between him and the Moroccan coach, he would never share them in public.

He described it as a matter of principle and of being a man of his age. "You don’t talk ill about your former employer because you offend them," he said. He added that speaking about a former employer would also offend his current one.

Ncikazi used a familiar saying to explain his stance. "Every house has got a toilet," he said, adding that a man has no duty to tell every family about challenges in his own. He said he has a responsibility to protect the environment he works in, and that every club he has worked for has had its issues, none of which he feels obliged to make public.

He compared a coach to the chief executive of a company, saying the job is to protect the environment. He closed the topic firmly. "I’ve got no comment," he said, adding that he will not answer such questions in future out of respect for the environments he has worked in.

Ncikazi's first matches back at Arrows

Ncikazi has taken charge of three matches since returning to Arrows. In the league, the team lost to AmaZulu. In the Carling Knockout Cup, they beat Chippa United in the opening round before going out to Sundowns in the quarter-final.

Neither coach has said that a rift existed, and Ncikazi's comments do not confirm one. On the available evidence, the reports of tension remain speculation.

This story is based on reporting by iDiski Times.