I will never return to PE, vows Dance

Malesela ‘expected’ Chippa to axe him

Dan Malesela last night vowed he would never return to Port Elizabeth after being fired by Chippa United.

Malesela confirmed he had been “released” from his contract, a day after his team suffered an embarrassing 3-1 home defeat against Baroka on Tuesday night.

“Yes I have been released. It did not come as a shock to me as I was expecting it,” Malesela said.

“When you work here at this club you expect anything. I don’t think I’ll be back in PE ever again.

“I will not degrade myself to that level. There are two things that happen, if you are a good person in a trying environment you will succeed but if you are a bad person in a good environment you will not.”

The coach added he was disappointed but fine with the club’s decision.

“It’s just three games into the season, there are 81 points to play for.

“I will never come back to this club again. I spent two years here and I am the first coach to stay that long. I am the first to have put the team in a semifinal of any sort, I am the first one to ever put this club in the top eight.”

A former Pirates captain, Malesela, 52, has endured a tumultuous relationship with the club. He was placed on “special leave” towards the end of last season, but was surprisingly recalled in mid-May, just over two weeks after being sidelined.