Royal AM president Shauwn Mkhize has refuted that co-coach Dan Malesela has left the club, but is absent from the club because he’s not well.
Earlier in the week, iDiski Times reported that Malesela was not happy with the set-up at the KZN outfit and was said to be disillusioned by the recent inclusion of Chairman Andile Mpisane in the match day squad.
On Friday again, sources told this publication that Malesela has left the club earlier this week and was going to iron out things with MaMkhize to explain his reasons on why he is leaving the club.
Malesela, who was appointed as club co-coach at the beginning of the season, said to iDiski Times there are things he needed to sort out with his family and that is why he has not appeared at training sessions of Royal AM this week. But he also insisted that he would return to KZN in time for Friday’s CAF Confederations Cup match.
The 57-year-old was not on the bench when Royal AM beat Mbabane Highlanders 2-0 in the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round second leg at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday. But that was because both Malesela and Khabo Zondo don’t hold the required CAF licences – as was already the case in the first leg last weekend at Somhlolo Stadium in Eswatini. In both matches, co-coach Abram Nteo was calling the shots on the bench.
However, last week, Malesela and Zondo were both in the stands, while on Friday only Zondo was at Moses Mabhida Stadium, with MamMkhize insisting Malesela is sick.
“Dan hasn’t resigned,” she said when asked by the iDiski Times after the game.
“Dan, Khabo did not sit on the bench because CAF couldn’t allow them to sit on the bench. This match he couldn’t be here because he’s not well.
“I, myself came back from Eswatini not well. So at this stage Dan is not well.”
Malesela also told iDiski Times earlier in the week that he would have a showdown meeting with MamMkhize on Wednesday, however, the Royal AM president insisted that such meeting did not take place.
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“There was no such meeting. As I said, the coach, we came back from eSwatini and he went home,” Mkhize stated.
“I don’t know about the meeting, because people always tell bad stories about Royal AM which are unfounded. The media said he was going to Marumo Gallants. I can tell you now, Dan is not going to Marumo and he’s not going anywhere.”
Despite Mkhize’s statements, Malesela is understood to be on his way back to join Gallants, who he left at the end of last season after taking them to the Nedbank Cup final.
Whether Malesela is sick or not, and whether he will be back at the club or not, Royal AM have until 4 October when they will face SuperSport United to sort out the situation.
Malesela Leaves Royal AM
