Royal Eagles coach Roger Sikhakhane dies

The coach of National First Division (NFD) team Royal Eages‚ Roger Sikhakhane‚ has died.

This was confirmed by Eagles’ general manager James Dlamini on Saturday morning.

Dlamini said Pietermaritzburg-based NFD team Eagles were informed by Sikhakhane’s family at 5am on Saturday morning of the death of the 42-year-old football coach.

He said that Sikhakhane had been seriously ill‚ and had been in a new private hospital in Empangeni‚ near Richards Bay‚ in northern KwaZulu-Natal‚ since being admitted there three weeks ago.

Dlamini could not disclose what the illness was.

“The family phoned us to inform us at 5am that Roger had passed on‚” Dlamini said.

“He had been in hospital for three weeks.”

The Premier Soccer League (PSL) sent out a press release on Saturday morning saying that a moment’s silence will be held for Sikhakhane at this weekend’s round of Telkom Knockout matches.

Sikhakhane most notably coached Chippa United in various stints in the PSL.

The KwaZulu-Natal resident also coached NFD side Thanda Royal Zulu in two stints.