Following the bombshell announcement of Khabo Zondo as PSL outfit Royal AM’s new coach, club president Shauwn Mkhize revealed that she was taken aback by the sudden resignation of previous coach John Maduka because she genuinely believes in continuity.
Malawian Maduka guided Thwihli Thwahla to a third-place finish in the DStv Premiership last season, ensuring the Durban-based side qualifies for the CAF Confederation Cup. Maduka has since joined forces with provincial rivals Maritzburg United.
Zondo, 60, a former Bafana Bafana and Mamelodi Sundowns assistant coach, has led a number of PSL clubs in the past, including Golden Arrows and Bloemfontein Celtic but has not been in the dugout since leading Royal Eagles, now Royal, in the National First Division five years ago.
He also coached second-tier side Tembisa Classic, where he teamed up with current Royal CEO Sinki Mnisi.
Said Mkhize about her belief in continuity: “I was happy with John Maduka when he was the coach. It was not in my plans to get a new coach but when I came back from overseas, I found out that he had resigned and because I am for sustainability and continuity, I was forced to get a new coach.”
On her new plans for next season, she said: “I think the South African football fraternity at large lacks [players] in the striking and defence [areas of play], so we will beef up the striking and the defence departments. Last season, we found ourselves in a very compromising position where we had to take a midfielder and make him a central defender because most of our defenders were injured, and we battled a bit.”
She also spoke about finishing third and qualifying for the CAF Confederation Cup: “It is every team’s dream to win the league but I have accepted that we are in position three. I cannot change what happened but I am happy with what happened.”
As DStv Premiership minnows, Mkhize is content with her club’s performance last term: “They have exceeded my expectations as the president of the club. The intention was to find our feet, be stable and save ourselves from relegation. To our surprise, we are number three, we had [Maduka receiving] coach of the month recognition, we have player of the month [Mxolisi Macuphu], and we have Q3 [the R1.5-million quarterly innovation prize] money, so I think they have done well.”
She insists money does not drive player performance. “Let’s not talk about money, for me money is secondary. The only motivator to the Royal AM players is that they are ambitious because they play for an ambitious club. When we look for players, we look for people who have a heart for football. Another thing is the players see their president [Mkhize] and chairman [her son Andile] within them and becoming their number one supporter. The club is a home to them because they have found a mother and a brother in us.”
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