Sekhukhune United coach Brandon Truter has admitted that it is true that they were players who came to training smelling alcohol when he was in charge of AmaZulu.
This after former AmaZulu communications manager Phumlani Dube stunned the media this week, revealing a raft of bad things that happened behind the scenes, saying alcohol was prevalent at the club, following his dismissal last year November.
Truter was speaking with the media in Durban after Sekhukhune lost 2-0 to AmaZulu at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday night.
It was the first time Truter set foot at the venue he called it home for eight months, before he was relieved of his duties in November, having started the season well.
“Players came to training drunk, smelling of alcohol,” said Truter.
“I had to deal with it at one stage. I’m not going to lie to everybody.”
In an effort to nip in the bud of alcoholism in the club, Usuthu fired Sibusiso Magaqa in November, who then joined Royal AM in the January transfer window. Magaqa, according to the club sources, was problematic within the set-up.
The issue of booze within AmaZulu also troubled coach Benni McCarthy, who said a player in question was Phakamani Mahlambi, who was on loan from Mamelodi Sundowns in the 2020/21 season.
Truter also hit a huge jab at Romain Folz, who replaced him in October at AmaZulu, saying he is the one who took AmaZulu to the MTN8 final in November and not the French/ Moroccan coach.
Truter was in charge of the first leg semi final, holding Chiefs to a 1-1 draw away before he was sacked. Then Folz was in charge of the second leg, with Usuthu denying Chiefs to score the goal as the game ended 1-1 on aggregate in favour of Usuthu. Usuthu then lost to Orlando Pirates in the final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
“Mind you, Romain Folz didn’t score any goals my brother so I don’t know how he got to the final,” said Truter when he was asked if his name should be considered for the Coach of the Season award having taken two teams to the cup finals this season.
The latter is Sekhukhune, who will meet Stellenbosch FC this coming weekend in the Nedbank Cup.
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Folz, at times in his stint with Usuthu, looked out of depth and struggled to put things together.
It led to AmaZulu to redeploy him as the technical advisor early this month and give Ayanda Dlamini the coaching role until the end of the season. Folz was in the stands as Usuthu beat Sekhukhune on Saturday.
Truter was asked by the iDiski Times if he was surprised that he was replaced by Folz, but he didn’t want to be drawn into that topic, saying “Brilliant (Mkhathini, AmaZulu media officer, when are you stopping this press conference?
“But no comment,” he added.
