AmaZulu head coach Brandon Truter. Photo: Archives
BREAKING: AmaZulu, Truter part ways
It has been confirmed that coach Brandon Truter has left his job at AmaZulu after just a few months into a two-year contract.
AmaZulu head coach Brandon Truter. Photo: Archives
Brandon Truter’s role with AmaZulu has been in doubt for a while amidst talk that there are a variety of divisions within the club, and some personal issues that the coach has been dealing with.
Truter’s agent, Basia Michaels of QT Sports, has now confirmed to SABC Sport that the coach has indeed left the club after handing in his resignation.
“We had a meeting and the coach has opted to resign. He is resigning because he has personal issues and they are quite clearly affecting his day-to-day job,” Michaels told SABC Sport when asked to elaborate.
“Yes, the results haven’t fallen our way, hence the coach has also decided it’s best to step aside. He thought he could continue to balance work and personal matters, but you can see it is affecting his job,” she added.
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AmaZulu then released the following statement:
AmaZulu Football Club would like to announce that it has parted ways with head coach Brandon Truter. The 52-year-old was in charge of the team for just over five months.
He has impressed since taking over the reins following the departure of Benni McCarthy in March. However, the current season has proved difficult, and the team has recorded just three DStv Premiership wins.
Truter’s record is as follows: 19 games, seven wins, seven draws, and five losses. We thank him for his cooperation and hard work for the club and wish him luck in his future career.
According to FARPost recently, sources had claimed that relations between Truter and his players at Usuthu have become toxic during an up-and-down start to the season that has seen AmaZulu most recently fail to record a win in their last five league games.
On Wednesday, AmaZulu slipped to a shock defeat against Richards Bay, and according to online source Unplayable, the club was preparing to announce the departure of Truter – possibly as early as Thursday.
After the latest loss to Richards Bay, Truter had admitted he was struggling, and battling to cope with the pressure.
“This result, I’m not happy about it, even the supporters, the owners are not happy about it. It is pressure on myself to win the games now. So I don’t take it lightly, I feel it and the players do feel it as well… Right now I’m not feeling well, not feeling well at all, not feeling happy. I feel a bit of pressure,” Truter added.
Recently, the club’s management were said to have summoned the coach to a meeting, while a potential candidate to take over from Truter was already on standby if the club failed to impress during the business end of the MTN8.
On Sunday, AmaZulu played out to a 1-1 draw against Chiefs, but Truter is now on his way out before the next leg of the semi-final.
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AmaZulu will face Kaizer Chiefs in the MTN8 semi-final over two legs
Besides some tensions that have reportedly been brewing around Truter, some players are apparently not happy with the arrival of Virgil Vries, which has resulted in further divisions in the squad.
“The team has tried to hide divisions within the team, but things have gotten worse, and some players are not happy,” revealed a FARPost source.
“There’s been a meeting to discuss the development and recent run. The president [Sandile Zungu] is unhappy… Coach Brandon is indeed in danger; there is so much going on. The club wants to challenge for league honours. The MTN8 is one trophy that can save him right now. Fadlu (former Orlando Pirates co-coach Fadlu Davids) has been meeting with the club; he was another option before Truter took over.”
