AmaZulu’s dismissal of Romain Folz on Tuesday marks the 17th coaching change of this DStv Premiership season, keeping up the steady turnover on the touchline over the last years.
Baby-faced Frenchman Folz was removed from the first team and ‘bumped up’ to technical advisor to AmaZulu owner Sandile Zungu until the end of the season with former Usuthu goal ace Ayanda Dlamini returning for another spell as caretaker coach until the end of the season.
It is Folz’s second sacking of the 2022-23 campaign after being dismissed by Marumo Gallants in September.
AmaZulu are one of nine of the 16 top fight clubs who have made coaching changes this season, a list that also includes champions Mamelodi Sundowns.
They began in August with the co-coaching tandem of Manqoba Mngqithi/Rulani Mokwena but after Orlando Pirates bundled them out of the MTN8 semifinal in October, Mngqithi was downgrade to an assistant and Mokwena sole charge of the team.
It also happened at Richards Bay last month with Vasili Manousakis made solo head coach after starting the season as co-coach with Pitso Daldla, who is now an assistant.
Only Steve Barker of Stellenbosch, SuperSport United’s Gavin Hunt, Mabhuti Khenyeza and Vusimuzi Vilakazi (Lamontville Golden Arrows), Sead Ramovic (TS Galaxy), Jose Riveiro (Orlando Pirates), Eric Tinkler (Cape Town City) and Kaizer Chiefs’ Arthur Zwane survive from the coaches who lined up on the start line for the new campaign last August.
Coaching changes this season
AmaZulu: Brendan Truter – Romain Folz –Ayanda Dlamini
Chippa United: Daine Klate – Morgan Mammila –Kurt Lentjies
Mamelodi Sundowns: Manqoba Mngqithi/Rulani Mokwena – Rulani Mokwena
Maritzburg United: John Maduka – Fadlu Davids
Marumo Gallants: Romain Folz – Raymond Mdaka (caretaker) – Dan Malesela – Dylan Kerr/ Raymond Mdaka
Richards Bay: Pitso Dladla/Vasili Manousakis – Vasili Manousakis
Royal AM: Dan Malesela/Abram Nteo/Khabo Zondo – Abram Nteo/Khabo Zondo – Abram Nteo – John Maduka
Sekhukhune United: Kaitano Tembo – Brendan Truter
Swallows FC: Dylan Kerr – Musa Nyatama (caretaker) – Ernst Middendorp – Musa Nyatama (caretaker)