AmaZulu coach Romain Folz has explained why he decided to wield the axe on experienced players such as Keagan Buchanan and Ramahlwe Mphahlele.
Veteran striker Lehlohonolo Majoro is part of that list as confirmed by club president Sandile Zungu to this publication, though he has not left the club immediately, unlike Buchanan and Mphahlele.
Mphahlele and Buchanan weren’t part of the club’s training session on Wednesday as Usuthu host Swallows FC at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday (20:00), after the club immediately terminated their contracts.
Majoro has since been recalled after a meeting between management and the coach, according to sources and was at training on Wednesday, but though one could sense that he was not best-pleased about the latest development.
Majoro, unlike Buchanan and Mphahlele, will now only leave when his contract with Usuthu expires at the end of the season.
He was informed by the club’s management that his contract will not be renewed when this season ends in May.
When asked by the iDiski Times what swayed the decision to keep Majoro until the end of the season, as this publication learnt they changed their minds about him even though he was gone with Mphahlele and Buchanan.
“I don’t listen to what people say, very often I find it is not true,” said Folz.
“It was never the intention of the club to get rid of Majoro and Majoro is here. He was injured for the previous game, an ankle injury that was persistent. That’s it. There was never an issue with him.”
Folz, though, insisted it was the best decision from everyone involved to go in separate ways with Buchanan and Mphahlele.
“We took the decision to let them go elsewhere as I believe it was best for the team, best for the club,” said Folz.
Buchanan was not going to be part of the Swallows game, even if he was kept, as he was sent off in the game against Dondol Stars in the Nedbank Cup round of 16.
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His sending off is said to have played a part in the decision making by Usuthu to part ways, as they feel there was no need from him to do so. Usuthu, in the end, lost on penalty shootouts to the third tier side.
Buchanan served the first suspension in the loss to Stellenbosch FC before the season was paused for the FIFA international break.
According to the sources, some more senior players will be on their way out at the club when the season is over, as Folz makes changes ahead of next season.
