Davids honoured to join ‘institution of Russian football’ at Lokomotiv Moscow

28 September 2022 - 07:47 By Marc Strydom
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Former Orlando Pirates coach Fadlu Davids has joined Lokomotiv Moscow as assistant to Josef Zinnbauer.
Former Orlando Pirates coach Fadlu Davids has joined Lokomotiv Moscow as assistant to Josef Zinnbauer.
Image: Fadlu Davids/Twitter

Former Orlando Pirates coach Fadlu Davids says he is honoured to join a “huge institution of Russian football” in Lokomotiv Moscow.

On Tuesday Davids, 41, became the assistant coach to another former Bucs coach, Josef Zinnbauer, at Lokomotiv, the team where former Bafana Bafana defender Jacob Lekgetho played with some success from 2001 to 2005.

Davids worked as assistant to Zinnbauer when the German coached Pirates from December 2019 to August 2021. Davids then co-coached Bucs with Mandla Ncikazi from August 2021 to June this year.

Zinnbauer was appointed coach of three-time Russian league winners and seven-time runners-up Lokomotiv on July 1.

“It's a major honour being a part of such a huge institution of Russian football,” Davids tweeted.

“Lokomotiv Moscow is well-known among SA fans as it was the club of the late Jacob Lekgetho many years ago. I am here to be part of the future success of the club and it all starts today.”

Davids joins a small but growing band of SA coaches earning jobs outside the country’s borders.

Pitso Mosimane, after his successful two-year stint at Egyptian giants Al Ahly, has joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli Saudi FC and is tasked with restoring the fallen giants back to the top-flight after their shock relegation to the first division last season.

Benni McCarthy is working with manager Erik ten Hag as the forwards coach for Manchester United.

Roger de Sa will be the assistant to head coach Carlos Queiroz for Iran at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in November and December. De Sa assisted Queiroz when the pair steered Egypt to the final of the Covid-19-delayed 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, losing against Senegal on penalties in February.

Before joining Pirates Davids began his coaching career at the team where he played for much of his career as a striker, Maritzburg United. He steered the KwaZulu-Natal club to their highest Premiership finish of fourth in 2017-2018, and that season Maritzburg also reached their first cup final in the Nedbank Cup, losing 1-0 against Free State Stars in Cape Town.


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