MICHAEL METELITS, Johannesburg | Friday 5.30pm.
A WEEK of turmoil in South African soccer has closed with the appointment of Paul Dolezar, former Kaizer Chiefs coach, to replace Ted Dumitru at Mamelodi Sundowns. Sundowns announced the appointment in Johannesburg on Friday.
Dolezar was in a long-running waiting game with Chiefs’ management, and a two-year contract was not renewed in June despite Dolezar’s noted success with the club this year. Turkish Muhsin Ertugral took over with the Amakhosi earlier in July.
Dolezar took up a one-year contract with Sundowns on Friday.
Sundowns’ spokesman Alex Tshakoane expressed the club’s excitement at landing a coach of Dolezar’s calibre. The team will be glad of some leadership after two weeks without a coach.
Dumitru quit Sundowns two weeks ago after feuding with management, and was tipped on Wednesday to replace Viktor Bondarenko at Orlando Pirates. Bondarenko publicly insisted that Pirates’ boss Irwin Khoza give him a contract, which lead the heavy-handed Khoza to dismiss the Russian.
Having been releived of duty at Pirates, Bondarenko promptly applied for Dumitru’s empty job at Sundowns, but was beaten to the trigger by Dolezar.
Dumitru has said he doesn’t plan to change Pirates’ attacking style, and agrees the club has had recent success and doesn’t ned major overhauls. Neither of the new coaches will be in charge of their clubs in the upcoming few matches. Dumitru will only take over on Monday.