- AmaZulu are in search of a new coach for next season
- Usuthu boss says he is spoiled for choice
- Sundowns mentor could be on AmaZulu's wish list
WHAT HAPPENED: AmaZulu president Sandile Zungu is in the search for a new coach and he has revealed that in front of him sits a list of well-accomplished and established coaches.
Usuthu have been linked with Mamelodi Sundowns' senior coach, Manqoba Mngqithi, who has coached the club before in his early years. However, Mngqithi's agent, Mike Makaab said the soft-spoken mentor is still contracted to Masandawana for at least another season.
However, Zungu did not reveal the list of the applicants for the Usuthu top job, but has insisted that whoever takes charge of the club will have the immediate task of taking the club to greater heights.
WHAT WAS SAID: "We are looking for someone who can awaken the sleeping giant. These are great names who have accomplished a lot of things locally and some internationally," Zungu said in a press conference.
"It is quite a number but we will push them down to a manageable number and discuss them internally. By the time we talk to one or two it is because we believe that anyone of those can take us somewhere and that will depend on what the terms are. We are spoiled for choice, there are great names out there, trust me.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Meanwhile, Usuthu have parted ways with coach-come-advisor, Romain Folz, who turned down a new role offered to him. Zungu has gone on to state that Ayanda 'Cobra' Dlamini is not being considered for the position even though he helped steer the team away from the relegation zone.
ON FOLZ EXIT: "We are very happy with the role that Folz played at AmaZulu and there are no regrets about anything. I've believed in his coaching methods and it is my firm belief that if we stay in chosen contact with him he has a role to play at AmaZulu," continued Zulu.
"Now, going forward, I said to him I would I like to retain him in some technical advisory role but he indicated that he is anxious to get back to the bench and he is exploring a number of options that are exciting for him and for that reason, he resigned from the team and I have accepted that."
ON 'COBRA': "Ayanda is a great son of AmaZulu and his influence in the team and contribution towards saving the team from relegation during the season of Covid-19 is on record and the fans of AmaZulu hold him close to their hearts for the role that he played as a player and as a coach during the difficult times," he added.
"When we took over as the Zungu family, we gave him the task to handle the club in the first seven games and he handed me the towel, saying 'this task is bigger than me at this stage'. I applauded that because it is the hallmark of a great leader. He was roped in as an assistant for Folz and was given sole responsibility in the last stages of the season as the sole interim coach.
"My mandate to him was clear - I told him to forget about relegation because AmaZulu will not be relegated. The objectives that we set for him were not unreasonable. We still had 18 points to play for when he took over and he only got five points.
"It was not a stellar performance according to our standards. It was an easy discussion with him and I told him that he is not ready to assume the responsibility as the leader of AmaZulu's first team. I told him that I want the best of him."
WHAT'S NEXT: Usuthu are set to part ways with 11 players, one of them being Lehlohonolo Majoro, who has scored 90 for the club over two periods.
