Stars in Sammy’s eyes
TROUGHTON: BACK AT EA LLA KOTO
Free State abuzz as Celtic also welcome new boss Jelusic.
The Free State’s Absa Premiership sides have new coaches in place, with the well-travelled Sammy Troughton taking over at Free State Stars, while Serbian Veselin Jelusic is the new man at Bloemfontein Celtic.
Troughton confirmed to Phakaaathi yesterday that he was on his way to Bethlehem, and that he had a verbal agreement with Ea Lla Koto.
“We haven’t done the contract yet, but we have verbally agreed, I will sign a contract as long as they haven’t misplaced a few notes!” joked Troughton, who left Stellenbosch FC at the end of this season after his contract was not renewed.
“It is a good opportunity, there are limited jobs and I am grateful,” added the 53-year-old, who quit as an assistant coach at Stars in 2008.
“I have worked there previously and they are a great family (the Mokoenas). I was an assistant to Kinnah Phiri, then David Duncan and then Themba Sithole, all in the space of about of a year!”
Troughton, however, is hopeful that he can bring some stability to a club fairly notorious for a high turnover of coaches. He also says he has been assured that Stars are not selling up their status – not long before the start of the 2016/17 season, a move to buy them by a Moroka Swallows consortium fell through at the last minute.
“Hopefully we can turn it around and bring a bit of stability. It is going to be hard work, but I think I know what I face,” added Troughton. “Obviously it (the sale rumours) was a bit of a concern … (but) they said they are not considering selling up, they want to try and get things on track.”
Celtic, meanwhile, have sprung a bit of a surprise in hiring Jelusic, who has previously coached the national teams of Angola and Botswana, but has no experience coaching in the Premier Soccer League.
Phunya Sele Sele have been without a permanent head coach since Serame Letsoaka left in October last year. John Maduka and Lehohonolo Seema took up the coaching reins in a caretaker capacity until the end of the season.
Celtic finished 12th in the Absa Premiership table, but only two points clear of bottom side Highlands Park.