Menzi Magubane
Extra-Time: Menzi Magubane says the time has come for the South African Football Association (Safa) to introduce new laws that will protect coaches from being sacked.
Throughout last season, South African clubs sacked their coaches without any hesitation or inhibition.
Perhaps Safa should adopt some of Brazil’s football rules to put an end to this madness. In the Brazilian league, clubs are allowed to change coaches only once per season.
Coaches are allowed to train two clubs per season. Should a club opt to sack the coach for the second time in a single season, the replacement must have worked inside the club for at least six months either as a youth or assistant coach.
Last season alone twelve coaches lost their jobs in the DStv Premiership and only three of them have managed to find themselves new homes. Chippa United has been the main culprit, having changed coaches three times in a single season.
Lehlohonolo Seema lasted 42 days, before being fired and replaced by Gavin Hunt. The former Kaizer Chiefs man lasted 45 days at Chippa and he too was fired.
Before the season ended they asked Kurt Lentjies, a player, to become a player caretaker coach. 67 days later he was shown the exit doors and this week they hired former Orlando Pirates midfielder Daine Klate as their new head coach.
Since their promotion to the premiership in 2012, Chippa’s has hired 34 different coaches and the way their chairman, Siviwe”Chippa” Mpengesi runs his team, Klate will not be the only coach to head the team for the entire season.
Last season’s madness also saw several other coaches losing their jobs.
The list is long, and includes: Seema (Golden Arrows), Benni McCarthy (AmaZulu), Dan
Malesela (Marumo Gallant), Owen Da Gama (TS Galaxy), Brandon Truter (Swallows), Stuart Baxter (Kaizer Chiefs), Kaitano Tembo (SuperSport United), Kgoloko Thobejane (Baroka), Josef Zinnbauer (Orlando Pirates) and Hunt (Chippa).
Ernest Middendorp (Maritzburg United) and John Maduka (Royal AM) lost their jobs days after the 2021/22 season ended. Only Maduka (who joined Maritzburg), Hunt (just joined SuperSport) and Tembo (joined Sekhukhune United) have so far managed to get their new homes in the premiership.
Mamelodi Sundowns, Cape Town City, and Stellenbosch are the only teams that retained their faith in their coaches from last season.
Safa needs to do something about it, and do it soon or else we will see another season filled with sackings.
Image source: @SoccerLaduma
