'KZN no longer a dumping ground for old players'

GOLDEN Arrows coach Manqoba Mngqithi believes KwaZulu-Natal is finally turning a corner in its football identity moving away from being a “dumping site” for ageing players and embracing a new era powered by homegrown talent.

- SMISO MSOMI

Speaking with conviction about the rise of KZN clubs this season, Mngqithi credited the recent success of provincial teams to a deliberate focus on developing and trusting young players from the region.

“Our province is on the right track because over the years, our province has been a dumping site,” said the Arrows mentor. “All the old players that are no longer useful somewhere else, they become useful here but now our province is beginning to produce its own younger, energetic, hungrier and willing players.”

It’s a statement that reflects the current landscape of KwaZulu-Natal football. After 11 matches, three of the four teams from the province sit in the top half of the Betway Premiership.