Finances seem to have been a stumbling block for Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) to have announced coach Norman Mapeza as their new mentor, Sowetan has learned.

With a week to go before their first match in the MTN8 against SuperSport United on October 17, TTM are still negotiating with Mapeza to take over at the club.

Mapeza and Owen da Gama are the two coaches who have been mentioned in connection with a move to take over at TTM, who will be campaigning for the first time in the DStv Premiership in the upcoming season. But it is understood that both coaches have turned down what TTM were offering.

The club's chief executive, Sello Chokoe, admitted yesterday that negotiations between them and the coach are taking long with time running out.

“We are still trying to finalise terms at this stage, I will still say our caretaker coach Lucky Nelukau is the one who is in charge of the team [now],” Chokoe said in an online conference with SA Football Journalist Association (Safja) yesterday.

“I don’t think now  it would be important for me to unveil the coach while there are still things that we are sorting out. We may differ in certain terms.”

Chokoe, however, remains optimistic that they will reach an agreement and could announce Mapeza soon to start preparing for the MTN8 match at Thohoyandou Stadium on Saturday next week.

“I think we have found the right person, and you guys will see it soon. He is a middle coach. He is not young or old. We believe that the coach who was in the PSL will help us. So the coach we will announce has PSL experience."

Chokoe also revealed that they managed to keep Brighton Mhlongo and Lehlohonolo Nonyane from the Bidvest Wits team, while Buhle Mkhwanazi and Keegan Ritchie will join them as well.

“We don’t have many Wits players, we are waiting for Phathutshedzo Nange to join the team, and we are not forcing anyone to stay. Anyone who wants to leave has to come to us, we discuss and decide from there.”