The Platinum Stars board will meet this week to decide the future of coach Allan Freese, who was frozen out by being placed on "special leave" by the club on Friday for failing to meet "specific targets".
Dikwena football manager Senzo Mazingisa did not elaborate on the objectives set out by the current board for Freese but it is not difficult to imagine that the hierarchy would have been unhappy seeing the club battling for Premier League survival.
With eight league matches remaining, Dikwena are fourth from bottom of the table and flirting with relegation - a devastating turn of events following a historic previous season in which Freese guided them to the MTN8 and Telkom Knockout title as well as another top-eight finish. But the coach, who failed to retain the two titles, now seems set to lose his job despite still having three more years to run on his contract.
Freese's assistant, former defender Willem Jackson, was in charge of Dikwena in their 3-1 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns in the Nedbank Cup last 16 clash on Sunday.
"The coach has been placed on paid leave and the board will be meeting with him this week. It is very straightforward as this has to do with issues of non-performance," Mazingisa, who has been back as the club's general manager since mid-February after he, too, was suspended last year, explained.
"It is a process we started about four weeks ago. We didn't just drag the coach off the field, but we have been talking to him in meetings after every match.
"This has been bothering the club for sometime. The chairman [Cliff Ramoroa] has also had the opportunity to speak to the coach and felt it was time to sit around the table and deal with the issues at hand."
Platinum Stars coach Allan Freese's future hangs in balance
The Platinum Stars board will meet this week to decide the future of coach Allan Freese, who was frozen out by being placed on "special leave" by the club on Friday for failing to meet "specific targets".
Dikwena football manager Senzo Mazingisa did not elaborate on the objectives set out by the current board for Freese but it is not difficult to imagine that the hierarchy would have been unhappy seeing the club battling for Premier League survival.
With eight league matches remaining, Dikwena are fourth from bottom of the table and flirting with relegation - a devastating turn of events following a historic previous season in which Freese guided them to the MTN8 and Telkom Knockout title as well as another top-eight finish. But the coach, who failed to retain the two titles, now seems set to lose his job despite still having three more years to run on his contract.
Freese's assistant, former defender Willem Jackson, was in charge of Dikwena in their 3-1 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns in the Nedbank Cup last 16 clash on Sunday.
"The coach has been placed on paid leave and the board will be meeting with him this week. It is very straightforward as this has to do with issues of non-performance," Mazingisa, who has been back as the club's general manager since mid-February after he, too, was suspended last year, explained.
"It is a process we started about four weeks ago. We didn't just drag the coach off the field, but we have been talking to him in meetings after every match.
"This has been bothering the club for sometime. The chairman [Cliff Ramoroa] has also had the opportunity to speak to the coach and felt it was time to sit around the table and deal with the issues at hand."
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