Kerr and Tembo among coaches skating on thin ice

Fifa breaks usually breed coaching casualties in the DStv Premiership.

With that being said, there are a few coaches who are already at risk of losing their jobs before domestic action resumes next month. Swallows' Dylan Kerr and Kaitano Tembo of Sekhukhune United head the list of Premiership mentors skating on thin ice.

Swallows have already been beaten four times in eight league games this season. It was their 0-4 humiliation by Golden Arrows last Saturday that piled more pressure on Kerr, who missed the side's first five league games owing to work permit issues.

Veteran midfielder-cum-overnight coach Musa Nyatama stood in for Kerr in those five games, though the coach was still communicating instructions from the stands. Basically, Swallows haven't won with Kerr in the dugout this term as they managed the two wins they have during Nyatama's time on the bench, where they also lost once and drew twice.

Yesterday, Kerr appeared in a training video Swallows posted on Twitter yesterday. However, this doesn't necessarily mean he can't be sacked anytime soon. 

Tembo is another man who's racing against time to save his job as Babina Noko have just one win from eight league games this season with three defeats and four draws. If the former SuperSport coach survives the current Fifa break, he can't afford to lose against Orlando Pirates on October 24.

What also put Tembo under pressure is that the club backed him immensely in the transfer market during the off-season, recruiting a number of high-profile stars such as Victor Letsoalo, Linda Mntambo and Tshegofatso Mabaso, among many others.

While they're likely to be still coaches beyond the current Fifa hiatus, the futures of coaches like Kaizer Chiefs' Arthur Zwane, Morgan Mammila of Chippa United, Royal AM's Khabo Zondo and Brandon Truter of AmaZulu are also under scrutiny. 

Chiefs' mediocre start to the term has seen some Chiefs fans turn against Zwane. However, Chiefs 2-1 win over SuperSport United last Saturday have since quietened the calls for Zwane to be sacked. Expectations are that winning the MTN8 will sort of safeguard Zwane's immediate future, meaning Chiefs' failure to do so is likely to reignite calls for the coach to vacate his post.

Mammilla may have won both the games he's overseen since replacing fired Daine Klate but that Chilli Boys owner Siviwe Mpengesi is trigger-happy renders him unsafe for the foreseeable future.

The departure of his co-coach Dan Malesela, who's rejoined Marumo Gallants, means Zondo is now solely responsible for Royal's form and one wrong move, his future will be in jeopardy.

Having started the season brilliantly, AmaZulu have slumped. Usuthu are winless in their last four league outings with three defeats and a draw. This is the reason Truter made the list of coaches who are living on borrowed time.