Leopards hunt for head coach
Despite showing signs of promise after helping Black Leopards retain their Premiership status, Mongezi Bobe and Morgan Shivambu will not be retained as co-coaches ahead of the new season.
Leopards confirmed that they were planning to bring in a coach who has experience. Shivambu and Bobe will assist him.
Both Shivambu and Bobe impressed as they helped Lidoda Duvha win the playoffs after beating Ajax Cape Town 20 at Rand Stadium on Friday with a match outstanding against Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila on Monday.
Leopards general manager Tshifhiwa “Chief” Thidiela said it had always been the plan that they would bring in a coach when Bobe and Shivambu were named caretaker coaches.
“We will get a coach. We’ve got a plan; we don’t want to put pressure on them.
“You guys [media] you will come and put on pressure and say things. We knew when we appointed them that we would get a coach. We don’t want to put them under too much pressure. Some will say it means you don’t have faith in them, you don’t trust SA coaches forgetting that we were the ones who put them there,” Thidiela said.
Thidiela said the duo still needed to learn and he didn’t want to throw them in at the deep end.
“We need the right time; they still need to learn more and acquire more qualifications. Bobe just started coaching last season at MultiChoice Diski Challenge. We need to build them,” Thidiela said.
“They still have their positions in the club; they have done their job. But we will look for another coach from whom they can learn more.”
Shivambu said the duo didn’t see it as a problem that the club will hire a coach and admitted that they still needed to learn.
“I don’t have a problem, as long as [they bring] someone who will add value to the team.
“When it comes to coaching, me and Bobe ... there is still a lot that we need to learn.
“So if that coach comes we will learn from him and support him as long as he is here.”