Chippa United axe Mngqithi

CHIPPA United coach Manqoba Mngqithi was many people's favourite as the first PSL coach to get the axe this season, but few would have expected it after just two games and two reasonable performances from his newly promoted side.

Mngqithi looked relaxed and confident as he sat in a press conference after his team's 2-1 loss to Free State Stars on Tuesday night, a game in which they had matched their more experienced opponents for much of the encounter until they surrendered a late goal.

Chippa had also won praise for their performance in their opener against Mamelodi Sundowns, narrowly losing 1-0 away from home against the big-spending Tshwane side.

"I do not feel under pressure; I think the team we put out against Free State Stars performed very well, bar the soft goals we conceded," Mngqithi told reporters after the Stars match. "But we should take a lot of confidence from this performance because this was a very young and inexperienced group that we had on the pitch.

"We have a total of eight players to come into the first team, most of them who will be regulars in the season. That will make a massive difference to us."

Unfortunately for him, he will not be around to find just how much of a difference those returning players will make, having been fired yesterday.

It is unclear who will take over, though hot favourite for now must be the man who got them promotion, Roger Sikhakhane, who was moved into a technical director's role when the club decided to go with Mngqithi. Alternatively, they might decide to look for a coach with more PSL experience such as Roger de Sa or Owen da Gama.

Mngqithi now holds the unfortunate distinction of being the first PSL coach fired in each of the past two seasons, having been shown the door after just five games at AmaZulu in the 2011-12 campaign.

FIRST TO BE FIRED IN THE PSL:

2012-13 season: Manqoba Mngqithi (Chippa United) - after two matches

2011-12 season: Manqoba Mngqithi (AmaZulu) - after five matches

2010-11 season: Savvas Agiomamitis (Mpumalanga Black Aces) - after three matches

2009-10 season: Themba Sithole (Free State Stars) - after seven matches

2008-09 season: David Duncan (Free State Stars) - before first game of the season

2007-08 season: Kalambay "Bibey" Mutombo (Orlando Pirates) - after four matches

2006-07 season: Kalambay "Bibey" Mutombo (Black Leopards) - after 10 matches

2005-06 season: Jean-Yves Kerjean (Black Leopards) - after one match

2004-05 season: Anteneh Eshete (Dynamos) - after one match

2003-04 season: Walter Rautmann (Black Leopards), Jacob Sakala (Dynamos), Khabo Zondo (Lamontville Golden Arrows), Steve Komphela (Manning Rangers) - after six matches

2002-03 season: Johnny Ferreira (African Wanderers) - after three matches

2001-02 season: Kenny Ndlazi (Ria Stars) - after one match

2000-01 season: Viktor Bondarenko (Umtata Bush Bucks) - after four matches

1999-00 season: Mario Tuani (African Wanderers) and Jan Lechaba (Umtata Bush Bucks) - after three matches

1998-99 season: Kolio Markov (Dynamos) - after two matches