Casualties in the Glad Africa Championship, The Coaching merry go round

The desire to earn a spot in the dstv premiership or at least a play off spot, drives club bosses around. The fear of going back to ABC Motsepe league makes it easy to ‘pull the trigger’ on coaches who are not getting immediate results.

Dr Jomo Sono [Cosmos], Nditsheni Nemasisi [JDR Stars], Pitso Dladla [Uthongathi], and Simo Dladla [Richard’s Bay] are the only four names not to face the chop this season. For Sono and Nemasisi, it requires Devine intervention to fire them as they both double up as Chairman and coach of their respective clubs. The two Dladlas on the other hand are no chairmen but they’ve been consistent on their respective positions and look set to remain until end of the season.

Pitso Dladla’s men missed out on promotion last season having drawn 10 matches in a row following the passing of club chairman. Simo Dladla on the other hand is challenging for automatic promotion as his charges are at the summit of the log.

Some clubs have done changes more than once. Others have seen coaches coaching for just one match ,strange? It’s nothing new in SA football. The coaching profession has not earned much respect from club bosses. It’s been a merry-go-round for some coaches, but there’s no doubt that the competition remains fiercely contested.

Here are the changes in the Glad Africa Championship this season.

1. Mike Lukhubeni sacked after 1 match by Royal AM. Floyd Mogale took over.
2. Johnny Ferreira sacked by Sekhukhune United. Macdonald Makhubedu took over.
3. Nasief Morris sacked by Steenberg United. Zane Ryklief took over.
4. Floyd Mogale sacked by Royal AM. Sazi Ngubane, his assistant, took over.
5. Themba Sithole was reshuffled by Free State Stars. Allan Freeze took over after leaving AmaZulu.
6. Sammy Troughton sacked by Pretoria Callies. Joel Masutha took over.
7. Tshepo Motsoeneng sacked by Bizana Pondo Chiefs. Julius Dube, his assistant, took over.
8. Julius Dube sacked by Bizana Pondo Chiefs. Experienced Clinton Larsen took over.
9. Serbian Vladimir Heric sacked by Cape Town Spurs. Ian Taylor took over.
10. Dylan Deane fired at Cape Town All Stars. Assistant Sinethemba Badela took over in the interim.
11. Sinethemba Badela was dropped back to assistant after few games. Goalkeeper coach Calvin Marlin was elevated to head coach.
12. Calvin Marlin dropped back to goalkeeper coach position. Sammy Troughton took over as new coach.
13. Macdonald Makhubedu left Polokwane City. The journey man, Johnny Ferreira, took over.