Golden Arrows coach Manqoba Mngqithi wary of Marumo Gallants despite recent dominance

It will be the second meeting between the two teams in just a week, after Arrows cruised to a 4-0 victory over the Limpopo outfit in a Betway Premiership clash at the same venue last weekend.

But despite that emphatic result, Mngqithi insists back-to-back fixtures can often produce unpredictable outcomes.

"It's a very tough assignment. If there's any game I don't like in football, it's back-to-back matches," the Arrows mentor admitted.

"They always tend to give indifferent results. We are playing against a very good team. I said it before — they may not have done well in the last two matches in the province, but they are still a very formidable side that does a lot of good things."

Gallants head into the encounter following two consecutive defeats against KwaZulu-Natal opponents, most recently a 1-0 loss to Durban City in midweek. Still, Mngqithi holds their structure and coaching in high regard.

"In my opinion, they are probably ranked third or fourth among the best-coached teams in the league," he said.

Gallants are undergoing another period of transition after appointing Frenchman Lafitte Alexandre to replace Abdeslam Ouaddou, who left for Orlando Pirates earlier this season.

Mngqithi also touched on his own approach to player management, highlighting simplicity and focus as key principles.

"I always teach my players to have focal points and not do too many things at once," he explained.

"When they are guided step by step, you get the best out of players who were once written off."