The Baroka FC coaching merry-go-round continued after co-coach Milton Dlamini parted ways with the Limpopo outfit despite a supposedly pending disciplinary hearing against him.
Dlamini confirmed to Times Media Digital that he will not be part of the club from next month after the short-term contract he signed with the relegation-threatened top flight rookies in March expires on June 30.
“Me and Baroka are history. I'm not going back to the team when my contract reaches its conclusion at the end of June‚” said Dlamini.
“I contacted the chairman over the phone on Thursday and asked for a meeting with him. I then informed him that I will not be renewing or accepting another offer from the team. The chairman accepted my position.
“I would like to thank the club and the chairman for the confidence they have shown in me. It’s been three unforgettable three months of which I am proud to have contributed towards the club avoiding automatic relegations”
Dlamini was suspended with immediate effect on Tuesday for “a behaviour which has not pleased the management.”
He denied any misconduct and said instead that he was laid off over “a misunderstanding during a technical team committee meeting.”
Dlamini was roped in together with Kgoloko Thobejane as co-coaches in March.
It is not the first time the PSL newcomers have made a coaching change.
Thobejane himself‚ who guided Bakgaga to promotion last year‚ was moved aside to another post within the club in January and replaced by Jacob Sakala and Edward Williams as head coach and assistant respectively.
Sakala and Williams were suspended and subsequently fired in April along with technical director Mark Harrison following a disciplinary hearing.
As with Dlamini's case‚ the club never specified the charges against the trio.
Baroka spokesperson Jimmy Ngobeni sounded surprised on Friday when asked to confirm Dlamini's departure.
Asked to confirm what Dlamini has told Times Media Digital‚ Ngobeni said: “As far as I'm concerned Dlamini is still on suspension and still has a contract with the club until June 30‚” said Ngobeni.
“What I know is that there is a DC scheduled to take place against the coach probably after our playoffs.
“I haven't heard anything from the chairman so I cannot confirm nor deny what Dlamini said.”
It seems the DC will no longer be necessary as Dlamini has reached an agreement with club chairman to walk away.
Dlamini added: “I guess there won't be any need for hearings.”
Baroka are in the middle of do-or-die relegation/promotion playoffs as they bid to retain their PSL status after finishing their maiden PSL campaign second from bottom.
- TMG Digital/TMG Sport
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