“Romain Folz, a French national with Moroccan roots, is a skilled tactician with an advanced soccer analytical mind.
“Ayanda Dlamini was head coach of AmaZulu before the arrival of Benni McCarthy in December 2020. Since then he has been working with the AmaZulu reserves — the DStv Diski Chalenge team — as co-coach.”
AmaZulu president Sandile Zungu said he believes the club will “challenge for trophies”, but did not give a time frame publicly in which he expects Folz to win silverware.
“I repeat my personal promise to our fans that I will do everything in my power to bring back the glory days at AmaZulu. We are championship material, there is no doubt about that,” Zungu said.
“We can and will challenge for trophies both domestically and continentally. As the oldest club in the DStv Premiership, Usuthu is a heritage of SA football and therefore we must self-correct expeditiously whenever we hit snags.”
Gallants had raised eyebrows hiring such a young coach as Folz, especially given he was replacing the experienced Dan Malesela, who the Limpopo club parted ways with despite reaching the 2021-22 Nedbank Cup final, where they lost against Mamelodi Sundowns.
Gallants have since rehired Malesela after the coach departed Royal AM.
Before working in SA Folz was employed by Township Rollers in Botswana. He was the assistant coach to Corentim Martins, the Frenchman who steered tiny Mauritania to their first Africa Cup of Nations qualifications in 2019 and 2021.
Folz worked with Martins at the second of those Nations Cups. Of Moroccan extraction, he was born in Bordeaux.
AmaZulu take unexpected turn announcing new coach
Image: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
AmaZulu have taken an unexpected turn hiring Romain Folz as their new head coach as the replacement to Brandon Truter.
The 31-year-old French-Moroccan takes charge of his second club in the DStv Premiership having had a brief and unsuccessful stint with Marumo Gallants earlier in the 2022-23 season. Folz will be assisted by ex-Usuthu head coach and former striker of the club Ayanda Dlamini.
Folz resigned as coach of Gallants in early September making accusations of interference in team selections. The coach began the season with four draws and a defeat.
Truter parted ways with Usuthu last week after a run of five league and club matches without a win, and one win in seven games.
Usuthu described Folz as having an “advanced soccer analytical mind”.
“AmaZulu FC is pleased to announce the appointment of the duo of Romain Khalid Folz and Ayanda Dlamini as head coach and first assistant coach respectively, with effect from today until the end of the current (2022-23) season next June,” the club said.
Truter the fifth PSL coach to bite the dust this season
“Romain Folz, a French national with Moroccan roots, is a skilled tactician with an advanced soccer analytical mind.
“Ayanda Dlamini was head coach of AmaZulu before the arrival of Benni McCarthy in December 2020. Since then he has been working with the AmaZulu reserves — the DStv Diski Chalenge team — as co-coach.”
AmaZulu president Sandile Zungu said he believes the club will “challenge for trophies”, but did not give a time frame publicly in which he expects Folz to win silverware.
“I repeat my personal promise to our fans that I will do everything in my power to bring back the glory days at AmaZulu. We are championship material, there is no doubt about that,” Zungu said.
“We can and will challenge for trophies both domestically and continentally. As the oldest club in the DStv Premiership, Usuthu is a heritage of SA football and therefore we must self-correct expeditiously whenever we hit snags.”
Gallants had raised eyebrows hiring such a young coach as Folz, especially given he was replacing the experienced Dan Malesela, who the Limpopo club parted ways with despite reaching the 2021-22 Nedbank Cup final, where they lost against Mamelodi Sundowns.
Gallants have since rehired Malesela after the coach departed Royal AM.
Before working in SA Folz was employed by Township Rollers in Botswana. He was the assistant coach to Corentim Martins, the Frenchman who steered tiny Mauritania to their first Africa Cup of Nations qualifications in 2019 and 2021.
Folz worked with Martins at the second of those Nations Cups. Of Moroccan extraction, he was born in Bordeaux.
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