Royal coach Zondo: ‘Not much has changed’ in 13-year absence from PSL

18 July 2022 - 14:27 By SITHEMBISO DINDI
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New Royal AM coach Khabo Zondo says there hasn't been a lot of change in the Premier Soccer League for the past 13 years.
New Royal AM coach Khabo Zondo says there hasn't been a lot of change in the Premier Soccer League for the past 13 years.
Image: Royal AM Twitter

New Royal AM coach Khabo Zondo is surprised people have made an issue of his appointment given he hasn’t coached in the DStv Premiership for 13 years, and says not much has changed in SA football during his absence.

Zondo, 60, made an unanticipated return to local top-flight football when he was unveiled by the KwaZulu-Natal side at the beginning of the month.

The mentor replaced John Maduka, who ditched Royal for Maritzburg United on the back of a successful season that saw the Shauwn “MaMkhize” Mkhize-owned side finish third in the DStv Premiership.

Zondo’s appointment sent shock waves across the football fraternity, not because he isn’t a good coach but because his last stint in charge of a Premiership team was back in the 2008/09 season in the brief existence of Eastern Cape side Bay United.

In 2015 he also had a stint at Royal Eagles, which was owned by Mkhize and her ex-husband Sbu Mpisane, when they were still in the National First Division, now called the Motsepe Foundation Championship.

The concerns are that the game and tactics in the PSL have changed a lot since Zondo’s last time coaching there, a view he disagrees with.

“It is funny how when I read other so-called publications saying things like, ‘I’ve been long out of the game,’ and when I’m back in the game I’m still seeing the same things,” Zondo said.

“There are no surprises [for me]. I’m seeing the type of players I’ve seen before, I’ve seen the same type of training that I have been exposed to, I’m seeing the same type of approach.

“I watched the games, and truly speaking, very little has changed and I’m adapting as well to whatever is new. And I had to do it with speed.”

Zondo will not just lead Royal in the Premiership but also in the Caf Confederation Cup as Maduka helped the team to a third-place finish in 2021/22.

“To be honest, it’s an opportunity I appreciate and relish, and I’m looking forward to contributing to the club,” Zondo said.

While complimenting the job done by Maduka, Zondo also felt his predecessor had begun to drop the ball towards the end of last season.

Royal ended their maiden campaign in the top tier with a six-match winless streak, where they recorded four draws and two defeats.

“The club did well last season, but you must also look at what was happening towards the end of the season. You must analyse it properly,” Zondo said.

“How many matches they won or lost towards the end of the season. You should know what it says because there was that situation where there was desperation to finish at No 2 or No 3.

“The team was no more like it had been, which is normal for a team that has exerted itself at the beginning and is bound to lose some energy towards the end. We need to plan properly.”

Royal, who have suspended their CEO Sinky Mnisi, kick off their 2022/23 season by welcoming Kaizer Chiefs to Chatsworth Stadium on Saturday, August 6 (3.30pm).


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