Ncikazi frustrated by Arrows’ lack of finishing

GOLDEN Arrows coach Mandla Ncikazi was not happy at all with his team’s lack of proficiency in front of goal following their 1-1 draw with Bloemfontein Celtic at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in Clermont, Durban, on Sunday afternoon.

The draw saw Abafana bes’thende slip from second to third in the standings, below KwaZulu-Natal neighbours AmaZulu, whose current fantastic form sees them move in behind runaway leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.

“I thought we did not disappoint in terms of how we played, but I am disappointed that we created so many chances and never took them,” said Ncikazi.

“I am not disappointed by the way the players exerted themselves. It was a better effort than in the previous match (a 1-1 draw with Swallows FC).

“We need to be more clinical in front of goal but it is a work in progress. We have to take the point as it’s better than none and will add to our objectives, but we have to be more clinical in front of goal going forward.”

Although they are unbeaten in their last six league games, Arrows’ recent results will not exactly be pleasing to them considering their impressive season overall as they have played to three successive 1-1 draws in their most result games.

Though turning draws into wins has been difficult for his players over the past three weeks, Ncikazi does not believe that this is due to any lack of effort from his players.

“The boys are exerting themselves and I don’t blame anybody. We must blame ourselves (as the technical team), maybe we have homework to do in assisting these players to finish the chances that they get in front of goal. I think consistent goal scoring is a problem for most of the coaches in the PSL. It didn’t happen for us but hopefully it will happen in our next match,” said Ncikazi.

While Sundowns will be favourites to win the league as they remain three points clear at the top despite having played three games fewer than AmaZulu and Arrows, the race for continental football will start hotting up.

Arrows’ current occupation of third place means that they are in line to qualify for next season’s CAF Confederation Cup.

Should they manage to usurp AmaZulu into second spot, they can even qualify for the prestigious Champions League, which Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs are contesting this season, with both having qualified for the quarter-finals.