AmaZulu have parted ways with head coach Brandon Truter with immediate effect, the club confirmed on Thursday.
Truter was left gutted, crushed, defeated and in pain after Usuthu lost to his former club Richards Bay at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Wednesday.
His side had started the season well, collecting 10 points from their first four games after Truter, who had initially been a caretaker coach following the departure of Benni McCarthy, was handed a two-year deal ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
However, things went sour and AmaZulu failed to win any of their last seven games inside 90 minutes, with the only positive result being an extra-time win against Cape Town City in the MTN8 quarter-final. In the league, Usuthu lost four out of their last five games, drawing the other, leading to Truter’s departure, as first reported by SABC Sport and confirmed by the club via a statement.
“AmaZulu Football Club would like to announce that it has parted ways with head coach Brandon Truter. The 52-year-old was in charge of the team for just over five months,” the statement read.
“He impressed since taking over the reins following the departure of Benni McCarthy in March. However, the current season has proved to be difficult and the team has recorded just three DStv Premiership wins.
“Truter’s record is as follows: 19 games, seven wins, seven draws and five losses. We thank him for his cooperation and hard work for the club and wish him luck in his future career.”
The news do come somewhat as a surprise after the coach did say in his post-match press conference on Wednesday that he could turn things around.
“That is the decision of the management [if they allow me to stay or not]. I think Mr Sandile Zungu is a patient man and we saw it with previous coaches,” said Truter.
“The time he took and the chances he gave as well, you understand. We have an advantage in the semi-final and the club is in the Black Label Cup competition, it shows the club is moving in the right direction. But it should be on the field, not off the field. But we can definitely turn it around.”
AmaZulu are yet to make an announcement about Truter’s successor.
