Royal AM co-coach Khabo Zondo sounded knocked by Dan Malesela’s words when he said working as co-coaches at the club saw him have different opinions and lose his style of play.
Dan Dance, when he was appointed at that time, said he didn’t see any issues with working as co-coaches because he saw it working at Mamelodi Sundowns, with trio of coaches such as Rulani Mokwena, Steve Komphela and Manqoba Mngqithi.
However, after leaving the club, Malesela insisted that working as co-coach he was losing his own identity and is an ambitious man to be a head coach, leading him to leave the club.
Malesela departed Royal AM recently and was announced as the new coach of Marumo Gallants last week, essentially returning to the club he left at the end of last season.
The former Chippa United coach was appointed by Royal AM boss Shauwn Mkhize during the off season to form part of the co-coach trio with Abram Nteo and Zondo.
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Zondo, when told by the iDiski Times of Malesela’s comments, chose his words wisely, only saying he has enormous respect for Malesela.
“I can only wish Dan well wherever he’s because he is a good coach,” said Zondo to iDiski Times.
“Maybe we didn’t see things eye to eye the way we would have loved to. But please, can we not dwell on it? If he said that [he was losing his playing style], that is his case. But I look at him as a very, very good coach.”
Malesela was the mostly the one at Royal AM conducting pre- and post-match interviews and also barking out instructions from the dugout, while Nteo and Zondo weren’t as hands on.
Zondo and Nteo will continue as co-coaches at the club and they were in charge when Royal AM beat Kaizer Chiefs on penalties in the Macufe Cup at Toyota Stadium on Sunday.
“We are told to continue with the way things are,” said Zondo.
“We are minus one obviously and at the moment we are going to be two. The club feels comfortable with that.”
Story by Robin-Duke Madlala (@duke_robin).
Malesela – Why I Left Royal AM
