Mikia Kalati
MASERU — Matlama head coach, Mohale Mokoena, has been fired.
Mokoena was relieved of his duties on Thursday afternoon after having a training session with the club.
“Indeed, I was told on Thursday after having a training session with the players that my services were no longer needed at the club,” Mokoena said.
Mokoena, a former Matlama player, was appointed head coach in 2011. He also served within the club’s technical department before being elevated to the position of head coach for the first time in 2010.
He was assistant coach to then mentor Ndebele Taole who led the club to the double in 2010.
The soft spoken coach has also missed on a number of trophies over the years having been sacked before and recalled to the job that saw him win another Vodacom Spectacular title as the head coach.
“I was very surprised when I was told of the news that I will no longer be the coach of the club on Thursday,” Mokoena said.
He said it happened in a very strange way as he was never told that the executive committee were not happy with him as the club’s coach.
“I feel I deserved to know what I did wrong and maybe sit me down to discuss the issues not the way it was done where I was called after a session with the players then they tell me I’m no longer the coach,” said Mokoena.
“I made it known to them that the way they had told me that my services were no longer needed was unprofessional,” he said.
Mokoena said he felt that the Sea Point team was seeing progress after a disappointing 2012/13 season that saw them fail to get into the top four.
Matlama was last year embroiled in a bitter row with football authorities over sponsorship issues.
The club was also docked three points after it failed to produce players’ playing cards during their match against Bantu in Mafeteng.
“The team should change the way they have been operating if the plan is to return to their glory days,” said Mokoena.
He said the current side has a potential to do well in the new season.
“The signs were there in the recent pre-season tournaments that the team will be able to compete in the new season,” he said.
Mokoena told this paper that whoever takes over the reins will need to be supported and respected so that he can succeed in his new post.
Comments are closed.