As The South African reported last month, Ncikazi’s name went viral across the web after using a rather odd analogy about Sundowns’ financial power compared to Pirates.
“Some teams are playing with development players, getting young players. Most developments were closed, SAFA was closed but Sundowns buys at Woolworths, and we buy at Pick n Pay and Spar,” the former Golden Arrows coach said.
“If Spar and Pick n Pay are closed we can’t buy, I think it’s a scenario like that, they buy what’s ready, maybe that’s the difference – we just need to be competitive,” he added.
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NCIKAZI SENDS OUT APOLOGY TO THE BUCS FAITHFUL
It is now almost a month on, and the former Maritzburg United coach feels that Orlando Pirates fans deserve respect and an apology for the outrageous comments.
“Let me apologise, maybe with the usage of wrong terms,” Ncikazi told Thabiso Mosia on SAFM’s SportON, as quoted by iDiskiTimes.
“The Woolworths story, I just want to apologise to the supporters of Orlando Pirates, I respect them very much.
“I’ve discussed it [the comments] with the team, they understand. It was not meant, maybe the analogy was exaggerated.
“It was just an indication that maybe based on the question that came up that ‘how can the gap be bridged between this team and that team’ and my point was FIFA or financial restriction where other teams are affected badly by the Covid situation financially as a country, salaries for their teams.
“But in that case other teams can with liberty do that and maybe the analogy that was used was not correct.
“I just want to apologise sincerely, if it offended the Pirates supporters, who I respect, the players of Pirates who I’ve known. I’m just a respecting person and I wouldn’t come out publicly, trying to disrespect them.”
– Mandla Ncikazi.
Meanwhile, the former school teacher and his assistant Fadlu Davids are now preparing Orlando Pirates for this weekend’s CAF Confederation Cup semi-final second leg against Libya’s Al Ahli Tripoli in Soweto.