There is a new coaching casualty in the Motsepe Foundation Championship and Soccer Laduma looks at what could be next for the departed coach.
A string of poor results, including three losses in the last four outings, has plunged Pretoria Callies to the bottom of the table, with only five points from nine matches.
Soccer Laduma reported in edition 1297 that the man who was entrusted with the status of the Pretoria giants, Kwanele Kopo has parted ways with the club after their 2-1 defeat to Uthongathi last Friday.
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Kopo joined the Romans towards the end of last season and helped the club balance their books and wage bill, after they initially had a squad close to 40 players.
Callies found themselves fighting relegation after they initially signed high-profile players for the second-tier, including former Kaizer Chiefs strikers Collins Mbesuma, Edmore Chirambadare and Edward Manqele.
Kopo trimmed the squad significantly in a major shake up in the January transfer window and managed to save the status of the Tshwane side.
However, the former SuperSport United youth coach also recruited players of his own, which ultimately created disharmony in the squad this season, the Siya crew has been led to believe.
Before leaving Callies, Kopo was critical of the refereeing decisions and believed bad officiating was the reason they were not getting the desired results.
"What we are witnessing every week has become a norm. We accept and move on, but it's not fair whether you play in PSL, Championship or ABC Motsepe," Kopo said after their 1-0 loss against Polokwane City.
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"Our goal was disallowed and when a throw-in becomes a set-piece you know something is wrong. We can talk but nothing will change even if we lodge a complaint.
"Last week against Casric (lost 2-1) it was so bad that the opposition coach came to me and said, 'I am sorry'. We can't win the league it won't happen.
"Management has a mandate and it's not to get relegated. Maybe I need to step aside. This is not about me, but Callies staff who will lose their jobs. Our staff member was so upset that he told the referee that we've got families to feed," he added.
Callies was Kopo's first head coaching job after he spent the majority of his career as a youth coach, largely at SuperSport, where he served as an assistant coach to the likes of Gavin Hunt (in his first spell), Stuart Baxter and Kaitano Tembo.
The youth football guru also served in the junior national teams as assistant to David Notoane.
Kopo was also linked with an assistant coaching job at Kaizer Chiefs after they appointed Hunt, who reportedly wanted him in his coaching staff but Dillion Sheppard got the nod instead, alongside club legend Arthur Zwane.
After frustrations in his first time out as a head coach, will Kopo return to coaching in the background rather be in the spotlight?
Let us know in the comments section below.
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