Moorosi Tsiane
THABILE Secker has ended his four-month romp with Lioli after handing his resignation on Thursday.
The 2018/19 Econet Premier League winning coach took over from Lehlohonolo Thotanyana in July this year and has already won one title, the Econet Soccer Spectacular (ESS). He leaves the team on eighth after seven league matches.
The former LCS and Lioli midfielder has endured hostile relations with his dressing room ever since he moved from Matlama.
So tense have been the relations that during his four months that he has been at the helm of the club, he had clashes with three players (Tumelo Makha, Diutwlileng Boikanyo, Itumeleng Sheleng) with the fourth, …Ramathe, being handed his last warning last week.
It is alleged that after Ramathe’s clash with Secker, the management and the three presidents met the player and gave him his last warning on Tuesday.
Contacted for comment on Friday, Secker said he was yet to meet with the club’s management hence he was not ready to speak.
“I am not in a position to talk about the issue now because they (club management) haven’t replied to my letter, I only saw their statement on their Facebook page.
“I am yet to meet with them and see how things will work out,” Secker said.
Lioli general manager Matobako Hlalele confirmed receiving Secker’s resignation but said he did not have the full details of the reasons for which Secker had resigned.
“Of course, he resigned. I got his letter yesterday (Thursday). I don’t have the full details but, in his letter, he says there are things that did not sit well with him,” Hlalele said.
Asked about Secker’s fallout with players, Hlalele admitted that Secker had expelled Ramathe from the team but said the issue had already been resolved by the club’s vice president technical Lehlohonolo Thotanyana.
“He fell out with Ramathe but early this week, Ntate Thotanyana, as the one in charge of the technical issues sat down with our management and the player to hear his side of the story. They had already met with the coach to hear his concerns and it was only befitting that they also listen to the player’s side before making any decisions.
“Ramathe was then slapped with a warning and was ordered to go back to the team. However, on Thursday the coach resigned. The management met him and tried to talk him out of the decision but I think he had already made his mind because his resignation letter is dated 22 October 2019 but he tendered it on the 31st,” Hlalele said.
He said Secker’s assistant Soai Mosola would lead the team as the management is yet to decide whether or not to get another coach.
“It’s not a decision that we can just make because it has many implications among them financial. However, at the moment Soai will be the caretaker coach,” Hlalele said.