All eyes on Pirates’ bench

Krol offered to Pirates?

Legendary Dutch coach Ruud Krol has been offered to Orlando Pirates, a side with which he achieved great success in the past, the Siya crew has been informed.

Krol was instrumental in helping Pirates win the first of their ‘double treble’ in 2010, where they won the MTN8, Nedbank Cup and the then the league title during a three-year stint with the club between 2008 and 2011.

In May last year, Soccer Laduma reported that Krol was keen on a return to the PSL, with the coach’s camp working on a possible return to Mzansi. However, nothing materialised at the time.

Prior to the appointment of Gavin Hunt in 2020, Krol’s name had also been mentioned amongst the possible candidates for the Kaizer Chiefs job, according to reports in local media.

Now, sources close to the coach’s dealings in South Africa have informed the crew that the 73-year-old would be open to taking up the reins at Pirates if the opportunity presented itself once again.

Krol has been without a job for the last three years, since parting ways with CS Sfaxien in 2019, although he has been keen to return to the dugout, with the coach’s camp eyeing various options for the vastly experienced Ajax legend.

The Soweto giants currently have co-coaches Mandla Ncikazi and Fadlu Davids at the helm. However, a number of names, including that of Benni McCarthy, have been linked with the Bucs head coaching position in recent times.

Ncikazi monitored from KZN

In what would come as a surprise, Orlando Pirates co-coach Mandla Ncikazi has attracted interest from his previous employers, in Golden Arrows.

Ncikazi and Fadlu Davids have been leading the Buccaneers as co-coaches since Josef Zinnbauer’s resignation in August last year and the club is expected to evaluate the two coaches in line with the team’s objectives, as set out when the season started, once the 2021/22 campaign comes to an end.

Pirates are likely to end the campaign without any trophy on the domestic front as Mamelodi Sundowns are well-positioned to defend the DStv Premiership trophy once again. The two coaches have, however, done well in leading the team to the quarter-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup, where they face Simba on Sunday in the second leg, aiming to overturn a 1-0 deficit.

However, Benni McCarthy has since been linked to Bucs, as well as Kaizer Chiefs and SuperSport United, and according to sources, Arrows are watching the situation closely.

Following the Lamontville-based club’s decision to part ways with coach Lehlohonolo Seema, shortly after the 6-0 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns, the club is now planning for their long-term future.

Before moving to Bucs, Ncikazi led Abafana Bes’thende to an impressive fourth place finish in the league and news reaching the Siya crew is that the club would welcome the opportunity to have the coach back again, should he be available for a move in the future.

According to sources, Arrows’ neighbours AmaZulu FC are also monitoring the situation and showing interest in Ncikazi as the club will be making a decision on the coach for next season at the end of the current campaign.

Usuthu currently have former Swallows FC mentor Brandon Truter in charge on an interim basis, and he will also be in the running for a permanent deal, depending on the team’s results in the remaining matches of the season.