AmaZulu president Sandile Zungu has explained the club’s decision to part ways with Keagan Buchanan, Ramahlwe Mphahlele and Lehlohonolo Majoro at the end of the season.
The trio will see their current deals expire with Usuthu, as first reported by iDiski Times, and sources informed this publication they have been informed by Usuthu management that they have no future at the club.
AmaZulu sources told iDiski Times that decision is based on Buchanan and Majoro being key in the sacking of coach Benni McCarthy and Brandon Truter, who had opened up about the “player power” in the AmaZulu dressing to Lorenz Kohler in edition 88 of the newspaper, as they lead a dressing room mutiny.
“Truter secured 10 points out of the first four games, then the next thing they started losing,” the source said.
“Of course he gets fired and they celebrate wherever they are because they have got the job and the coach doesn’t have a job.
“This culture of players thinking they will conspire against the coach, this time is not going to work.
“They have tried it before and one was naive and one thought the club was resolving an issue, but this was culture’s creation that the club needed to nip it in the bud.”
Sandile Zungu confirmed the news to this publication, with the club opting to back under-pressure coach Romain Folz at the expense of the players perceived to disturb the dressing room instead of once again changing coaches.
“I haven’t had a chance to personally speak to the players, but they have been informed by the GM [Tshepiso Mofokeng] of our intentions,” said Zungu.
“But Fohloza was very clear about the three players that, even if they have to give us their best for the next seven games, they are not part of his future.
“You can understand, they are grown up players. They are not fitting to the culture the coach seems to think they are and the future with AmaZulu.”
Majoro has had his fair of share experience with Usuthu, having had a below-par season in the first round of the 2019/20, when he was banished by the club to train with the reserve team.
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But upon the arrival of coach McCarthy in December 2020, Majoro’s fortunes changed, walking away with the club’s Golden Boot at the end-of-season awards, scoring nine goals in all competitions.
Buchanan was signed from Maritzburg United at the beginning of last season, with McCarthy bolstering his midfield department to handle both local schedule and international, having qualified for the CAF Champions League, but Usuthu crashed out in the group stages.
Mphahlele joined the club in the beginning of the season, and his combination at the back with Abbubaker Mobara looked solid, but he was at times error-prone in defense, especially against Chippa United in October last year.
He has featured in 22 matches, scoring one goal which came when Usuthu thrashed Kaizer Chiefs 4-0 in January.
Story by Robin-Duke Madlala (@duke_robin).
