Baroka let Khumalo go from tech team
Khumalo was technical director and interim coach.
Kaizer Chiefs legend Doctor Khumalo yesterday stepped down from his position as technical director (TD) at Baroka FC. Khumalo left Amakhosi to join Baroka in August last year and Bakgaga got off to a flying start to the 2017/18 campaign, but faded as the season went on, in the end only just surviving relegation.
Khumalo took over as caretaker coach for the last two games of the campaign after MacDonald Makhubedu was redeployed.
Baroka have since appointed Zambian mentor Wedson Nyirenda as head coach and club chief executive Morgan Mammila said in a statement that the decision to part ways with Khumalo was purely financial.
“As a small club with no financial backing it was always going to be difficult to have two heavyweights in a setup like we have,” said Mammila.
“We have recently acquired the services of the head coach and the club had to consider doing away with the position of TD in order to maintain our financial health ... We can’t discount the fact that Khumalo has given the club value we never had and we will forever be grateful to him. It is in that spirit that we have to thank him for choosing us when he left Kaizer Chiefs a year ago.”
Khumalo added: “The chairman (Khurishi Mphahlele) and I had a long discussion which I thought was heart to heart and finally we both agreed this will be in the best interest of myself as the technical director and the club’s future.
“Joining Baroka was an experience I never had and I enjoyed every moment working with both the past technical team and ... the chairman and the CEO. They made me feel at home at all times and I wish the club all the best in their future endeavours”
Khumalo’s departure will only fuel speculation that he could be on his way back to Kaizer Chiefs, with Amakhosi set to make changes to their coaching department ahead of next season.
Mahlakgane, however, said that no decision had yet been made on Khumalo’s next step.