OPINION: Ncikazi’s Afcon comments are just ridiculous hogwash

Mandla Ncikazi’s explanation regarding the omission of Orlando Pirates striker Gabadinho Mhango in their Nedbank Cup tie with AmaZulu FC is ridiculous and is just an excuse.

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To say the DStv Premiership is bigger than the Africa Cup of Nations is just absurd and absolute hogwash. In his own words, this is what he said when asked about Mhango’s incredible performance for Malawi, as he helped them reach the last 16, scoring three goals. Pirates’ response to the Malawian’s good international form was to leave him out of the Ke Yona Cup clash with Usuthu

“So, Mhango will wait like all other players. We recognise and acknowledge his performance at the Afcon. But maybe the league in South Africa is bigger than the Afcon. That is a question for another day,” said Ncikazi.

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry after hearing him say that. I was left puzzled by listening to one of the aspiring top coaches in the country discrediting the biggest tournament on the continent. It made me wonder, if a coach like Ncikazi at a big team like Pirates doesn’t really value the Afcon, then, how is he going to motivate his players to do well in Caf club competitions?

Ncikazi can’t be telling us that the league in our country might be bigger than the Afcon when there is only one top performing team in the country. His Pirates team finds itself trailing Mamelodi Sundowns by a massive 14 points on the league standings (now 17 after Sundowns’ win over Chippa this week) and you want to say that the league in the country is bigger than the Afcon?

Mr Ncikazi needs to review his statement, maybe he didn’t hear himself and didn’t really know how to explain the exclusion of Mhango for the AmaZulu game. I know a lot of Pirates fans were eager to see the striker back in the line-up.

Leaving him out like that and giving us a senseless explanation tells us that there is a really big problem between Mhango and the Pirates technical team, especially after he found himself appearing in the media for wrong reasons and his discipline was questioned last year.

And by the way, Mr Ncikazi, our national team Bafana Bafana didn’t qualify for Afcon, yet, you are here telling us about the South African league being bigger…