Is ‘16V’ driving back to Naturena?
Doctor Khumalo is heading for the Baroka FC exit door.
The Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana legend has not returned to Limpopo for the preseason and insiders have said his days are numbered at the club.
Baroka‚ who escaped relegation on the final day of last season‚ returned to the preseason last week and the players underwent fitness tests under the watchful eye of assistant coach Fannie Mthethwa.
New coach Wedson Nyirenda joined them on Monday.
Khumalo‚ who took charge of Baroka’s last two league matches of last season where they managed to avoid the dreaded playoffs and relegation‚ said yesterday he would reveal his future plans in the coming days.
“I am busy with other things at the moment but I will let people know if I am going back to Baroka or not at a later stage‚” he said, without taking further questions.
Asked for clarity‚ Baroka chief executive Morgan Mammila said they would be sitting down with Khumalo after his World Cup commitments to map a way forward.
“He is currently busy with the World Cup but we will sit down with him after the tournament to sort out the issue of his future‚” Mammila said.
Nyirenda said he would not have a problem working with his former Chiefs teammate Khumalo because they know each other very well.
“I found Doc here at the club [Baroka] and I won’t have a problem working with him‚” he said.
“I have known him for a long time while we were players at Chiefs and we have helped each other along the way as coaches‚” Nyirenda said, adding that the preseason was going well.
“Today [yesterday] will be my second session with the players at training and we will be working hard to ensure that they are ready for the coming season.”
Khumalo was appointed Baroka’s technical director almost a year ago to much fanfare where he worked with former coach Kgoloko Thobejane, who has since left the club for disciplinary reasons.
Speculation is rife that “16V”‚ as Khumalo is known‚ is being lined up for a spectacular return to Naturena where he will be working with whoever is going to be their new coach.