Kaitano Tembo
By Tanaka Gwanyanya
South African Premiership side, Sekhukhune United FC has fired head coach Kaitano Tembo after a string of poor results.
Kaitano Tembo, a former Superspot United gaffer, arrived at Sekhukhune in June this year with an assignment to redeem the club which was performing below expectations, but a chain of poor results in his first four months has left the Sekhukhune owners looking for another coach.
After 12 league games, Sekhukhune seats on the 15th position, with only two wins, 5 draws and 5 losses.
In a statement released by the Club, the club’s CEO, Jonas Malatji, expressed his deepest gratitude to the Zimbabwean coach and thanked him for all his efforts while with the side.
He said the decision to part ways with Tembo was not an easy one.
“Sport in general and football in particular is result-driven, and this remains true for the club that find itself in a very precarious position in the league.”
He also indicated that the club is now looking for a replacement and further communication will be made in due course.
“The management and the board will in the meantime begin in earnest searching for a coach, and will not make any further statements on the matter until then.”
The Zimbabwean expressed gratitude and wished the Club the best going forward.
“I wish to thank the players for their dedication, the support of the technical team and support staff, and wish the club and its supporters the very best,” said Tembo.
Tembo’s journey in South African football began in July 1998 when he joined the then Capetown based Seven Stars from Dynamos Football Club. He arrived at Seven Stars together with fellow Zimbabwean, Edelbert Dinha.
In July 1999, Tembo joined the Pretoria based Super Sport United and was to spend the next 23 years at the Club, first as a player, then as junior coach and finally senior coach from 2018.
As a full time senior coach he was in charge for three seasons, finishing 6th in 2018-2019, and 5th in both 2019/2020 and 2020/2021. He won the MTN cup in 2019.
But after winning only eight of their 24 matches in the 2021/2022 season, Kaitano was fired in April 2022.
He then joined Sekhukhune in June, where he has since been shown the exit door, only four months into his contract.
