Just seven games into the Premier Soccer League (PSL) season and already there has been lots of drama — and for once the players are not the centre of attention.
The standard of referees has declined to such an extent that clubs never know what to expect from the man with the whistle.
As if poor refereeing were not enough, it is open season on coaches. With the PSL and cup competiton offering unheard-of riches, the price of failure — and sometimes success — is high for the men who guide the league clubs’ fortunes.
It seems the fans’ and club bosses’ tempers are short — and these stakeholders expect far more from their teams than they are seeing in the PSL.
The wrath of the supporters was felt more by Roy Barreto than any other coach. This week the Orlando Pirates man resigned after losing to Manning Rangers in the Coca-Cola Cup first round at the weekend.
According to Pirates fans this was the final straw after a spate of bad results, mainly to be blamed on the coach, such as losing to archrivals Kaizer Chiefs in last season’s derby, and poor performances in the various cup competitions (Vodacom Challenge, not being voted into the Charity Cup and the Super Eight).
Barreto’s big success — last season’s league title — seems not to count for much. But winning the championship at Pirates does not guarantee you a job — just ask Gordon Igesund.
The favourite to take over from Barreto is Kenny Ndlazi, the former national under-23 assistant coach.
As the ink was drying on Barreto’s resignation letter, the man who had planned his downfall in the Coke Cup, Steve Khompela, quit Manning Rangers. On Thursday Dynamos announced that Khompela would replace Jacob Sakala as their head coach. Sakala has been demoted to take charge of junior development.
Prior to this week’s action, Zulu Royals axed Nsanzurwina Ramadhan for a spate of bad results; Walter Rautmann got the boot from Black Leopards for crying out to the media that boss David Thiedela was interfering in the team and Clemens Westerhof was sacked by Hellenic.
Khabo Zondo, who led Golden Arrows to the quarterfinals of the Coke Cup, will not be on the bench this weekend or next weekend when they play Manning Rangers for the second time in a Durban derby. Zondo is to take up the head coach position at Sundowns from November 1.
Hellenic have appointed again Neil Tovey — their saviour from relegation last season — as head coach.