The Royal AM FC club badge. Image: @LiandreRenene / Twitter
LATEST: Have Royal AM settled on new coach?
Royal AM are set to officially appoint a local coach within the next week after the shock departure of John Maduka.
The Royal AM FC club badge. Image: @LiandreRenene / Twitter
Recently Maduka’s departure from Royal AM to Maritzburg United came as a shock, both as a result of the decision to suddenly depart a top PSL team, as well as because there are limited resources at the Pietermaritzburg-based side.
Nevertheless, Royal AM are now on the look out for a new coach, and the leading candidate is said to be Dan Malesela.
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CEO Sinky Mnisi has already confirmed on Sports Night Amplified with Andile that Royal AM will announce a new coach on 28 June.
“‘Dan Dance’ is one of the best coaches in South Africa. But it will all depend, while we are still looking, whether we will be able to consider him. I spoke to his agent but not much [was discussed],” Mnisi commented
“Royal AM must get onto the market to find a coach that understands the culture and brand of football that will fit, [someone] that knows football – and it must obviously be SA football.”
In a short statement earlier this month, Marumo Gallants confirmed the club had parted ways with Malesela after deciding against renewing his contract.
At this stage, it’s unclear what led to Gallants’ decision not to renew Malesela’s contract as they only hired him in November 2021, while he performed admirably at the club.
It now remains to be seen whether he could find a new job at Royal AM.
In May last year, Chiefs released Gavin Hunt from his contract after a string of poor results with the club, while former interim Sekhukhune United coach Owen Da Gama has also been linked with Royal AM.
However, both seem to have been ruled out as option at Royal AM.
“Just to clear that – people have written in the media that we have approached Gavin Hunt, Owen Da Gama and, I think there was a third one. Let me be honest, we’ve never spoken to any of those coaches,” Mnisi said, as quoted by SABC Sport.
“We’ve never been interested. There have been coaches that have phoned, even from New York, who was here in SA, asking for the job.
“But at Royal AM, we need to headhunt, and there are those we interviewed. We don’t want helicopter football. We will announce a coach on 28 June. It will be a local coach.”
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Mosimane had been linked with Royal AM, but this was never likely to materialise
Although Pitso Mosimane had just penned a new two-year deal with Egyptian giants Al Ahly, he dramatically requested clearance to leave the club after recent meetings.
Mosimane would surely have not requested to leave Al Ahly if he had no options and possible offers in front of him, though. As it is, he will reportedly have big-money job offers to consider in Qatar.
The veteran coach previously indicated that there are new opportunities for African coaches in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and this could be his first option.
Yet, in an interview with TimesLIVE, Mosimane’s manager Moira Tlhagale revealed that there are certainly no shortage of options.
Interestingly, football journalist Robin Duke recently suggested that “the management of Royal AM have told club boss MaMkhize to give coach Jingles what he wants”.
It remains to be seen whether there may be substance to such a claim, or if it is just a pipedream, but this would certainly be an interesting development.
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