Mokoena says Eymael will be on Stars’‚ not Chiefs’ bench next season

Free State Stars general manager Rantsi Mokoena is confident Luc Eymael will be on the club’s bench next season‚ but has been around the block enough to leave “room for disappointment”‚ he said this week.

As Stars take on Chiefs in Saturday night’s Nedbank Cup semifinal at Moses Mabhida Stadium‚ Belgian coach Eymael’s name has been linked with Amakhosi.

Current Chiefs coach Steve Komphela’s contract ends in June‚ and‚ as he approaches the end of a third season without a trophy‚ barring winning the Nedbank‚ speculation has been he will struggle to renew.

Mokoena said his gut feeling was that Eymael‚ who also categorically stated this week he has had not contact from Amakhosi‚ would not leave Stars for Chiefs‚ or SuperSport United‚ who the coach has also been linked to.

“With regard to the coach going to Chiefs or not‚ only he and Chiefs have the answer to that‚” Mokoena‚ the son of Stars’ chairman and owner Mike Mokoena‚ said.

“As far as I am concerned‚ and as far as we are concerned – the coach‚ myself and the club – we have had numerous conversations. He is very open to me and I’m very open to him.

“We have a contract that we both respect. We know the terms of the contract‚ we know what it says.

“And with the fact that we talk about Free State Stars‚ planning the way forward for the club next season‚ I’m very confident that come the beginning of 2018-19 Luc will be on the bench.

“But this is football. And every time the transfer window opens a lot of things happen in football.

“I can say with confidence that Luc will be here. But there is that thing in football and I do have room for disappointment.

“I also believe that Chiefs being the professional team that they are‚ and the relationship that I have with them‚ would be respectful enough to give us a call and say‚ ‘Guys‚ we are interested in this and this and this. And how do we work our way forward?’

“And that I would not read about something in the newspapers.”

Asked if he trusts Eymael‚ Mokoena replied: “The only person who I trust is my son in this world. But look‚ I do trust Luc.

“And I trust him in a sense that in the time I’ve spent with him we’re both very frank with each other. We sometimes clash with ideas. We sometimes fight. But it’s all in the name of Free State Stars and of bettering ourselves.

“He comes with a lot of European mentality. It sometimes doesn’t sit well with Africa. But we often find a common ground.

“But what I do trust about him is his frankness. I don’t want to reveal too much about why I do‚ but there have been times when he’s given me enough reason to trust him.”