SuperSport United have finally parted ways with Kaitano Tembo after weeks of speculation that the club was looking for a head coach with bigger ambitions.
Tembo’s sacking has now added fuel to the speculation that former AmaZulu and Cape Town City coach Benni McCarthy was coming on board to restart his career at United.
McCarthy, who is Bafana Bafana’s all-time leading goalscorer and the only SA-born player to have won the Uefa Champions League, was released by AmaZulu boss Sandile Zungu in March, in a move that shocked the local soccer fraternity.
When he parted ways with Usuthu, McCarthy’s agent Rob Moore indicated that the only way Benni would come back and coach in the Premier Soccer League was if he was offered a job by an ambitious club that was willing to open its cheque book and buy quality players.
“I can confirm that Kaitano has left the club with immediate effect,” said SuperSport CEO Stan Matthews.
“The team will be taken over by Andre Arendse, Thabo September, and Grant Johnson until the end of the season. It’s a sad day for the club because he served us well as a player and he won various trophies with the club.
“He groomed so many talented young players and he’s a humble and tremendously hard-working guy.
“But football goes with results and we got 11 points in 11 matches and we tossed away matches that we were in front and also lost to a National First Division side in the Nedbank Cup, something that was a first for the club.”
Matthews explained further: “The string of results became too much and that’s football. But Kaitano is the epitome of the dedicated club man. Very few players transition into coaching at the same club where they played. We want to thank Kaitano for the many years that he served SuperSport United in various capacities.
“It is never easy parting ways but as a true servant, Kaitano has always placed the interests of the club above that of individuals. We are grateful for the role he has played at the club both as a player and coach.”
Tembo, the retired Zimbabwean international, served the Matsatsantsa a Pitori for 23 years having joined the club in 1999. He played as a no-nonsense defender in the early stages of the club.
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