Merry-go-round: Nine PSL teams changed coaches 25 times

The 2022/23 DStv Premiership season was nothing short of drama as far as the coaching changes are concerned. Across all the 16 teams, there were over 20 rotations in mentors. We assess how each side conducted themselves in this regard. Unsurprisingly, Chippa United topped the chart with five changes.  

Chippa (5)

It was the same old story of coaching merry-go-round at Chippa in the 2022/23 season with five mentors holding the fort. Chippa started the season with Daine Klate in charge but the Orlando Pirates legend was fired and replaced by Morgan Mammila. Klate only lasted seven league games, winning once with four defeats. Mammila was in the dugout 14 times, picking up five wins with five losses and four draws, before Kurt Lentjies replaced him. Lentjies oversaw four league outings, losing two and getting two draws.

Siyabulela Gwambi would be installed as the side's fifth coach of the season, albeit, managing one game which they lost to Marumo Gallants. Lehlohonolo Seema took charge of the last four league games and managed to help the club stave off relegation.

AmaZulu (3)

The Durban outfit started the campaign with Brandon Truter at the helm but the 52-year-old trainer was shown the door nine games into the league campaign, where he managed only three wins and two draws, while suffering four defeats. Truter was replaced by Romain Folz, but Usuthu’s situation deteriorated under the French-Moroccan trainer as they only managed three wins from 15 league games, drawing a whopping eight with four defeats. Folz would be moved to a technical director role with Ayanda Dlamini replacing him to oversee the remaining six league games, where he suffered three defeats with one win and two draws.

Marumo Gallants (3)

Gallants roped in Romain Folz at the beginning of the season and he resigned after eight matches following a slow start where he drew six and lost twice. He was then replaced by Dan Malesela who was put on a special leave at the end of January following a run of poor results. Malesela was in charge of 14 matches. Malesela was then replaced by Raymond Mdaka as an interim coach, who saw the club being relegated under his guidance, and was in charge of 10 matches winning just three, drawing five and losing two.

Royal AM (3)

Thwihli Thwahla started the season with three co-coaches in Dan Malesela, Khabo Zondo and Abram Nteo. They lasted five games into the DStv Premiership campaign and the KZN side then dismantled the co-coaching arrangement, allowing Nteo to lead alone while Zondo was shifted to oversee things in the Diski team. Nteo looked out of his depth, hence the club brought back Maduka, who would be in charge of the remaining 13 games.

Swallows (3)

Dylan Kerr began the season in charge of The Birds before he was sacked in favour of Ernst Middendorp. Kerr was fired after winning only two of the eight league games he was in charge of. Middendorp abandoned Swallows to return to his native Germany, having won three of the 10 DStv Premiership matches he was in charge of. Musa Nyatama would do wonders when he replaced Middendorp as he guided them to finish eighth on the log.

Mamelodi Sundowns (2)

Rulani Mokwena and Manqoba Mngqithi started the season as joint head coaches but Sundowns made changes immediately after they were eliminated from the MTN8 by Orlando Pirates when they lost 3-0. By that time, they had been in charge of 10 matches, losing two. Mokwena was then in charge for 20 matches winning 14 and drawing six as they won the league with seven matches to spare while also breaking records.

Maritzburg United (2)

Maritzburg started the season with John Maduka as their head coach. The Bloem Celtic legend found the going rather difficult, winning just two of the 13 league games. Fadlu Davids replaced him but the situation never really improved, hence they are playing the relegation/promotion play-offs at the moment after finishing 15th. Davids won only five of the 17 DStv Premiership matches.

Sekhukhune United (2)

Sekhukhune started their second season with Kaitano Tembo in charge before he was fired in November after 12 matches where he won two, suffering five defeats and five losses. Brandon Truter took over when the club were 15th on the table and guided them to a top eight finish while also reaching the Nedbank Cup final. In his 18 games, Truter won eight, drawn five and suffered five defeats.

Richards Bay (2)

In their maiden season in the DStv Premiership, the Natal Rich Boyz started their campaign brightly with Vasili Manousakis and Pitso Dladla as joint coaches. They were in charge of 23 matches with eight victories, suffering eight defeats and registering seven draws. But they declined in the second half of the season where they registered a single victory this year. That saw the club restructure the technical team with Manousakis as the sole head coach in March.

Cape Town City (1)

Eric Tinkler was in charge of his second season in the DStv Premiership with the Citizens and finished the season he started. At some point, he was under pressure with results not coming, but he came back strong as his side went on to finish fourth on the log table.

Golden Arrows (1)

After finishing the 2021/22 season as interim coaches, Arrows trusted Vusimuzi Vilakazi and Mabhuti Khenyeza who started the recently concluded campaign as joint head coaches. They finished the season without changing anything despite them being under pressure at times.

Kaizer Chiefs (1)

Chiefs stuck with coach Arthur Zwane although he found himself at the receiving end of the fans’ wrath for the better part of the season. Amid the side’s inconsistency, the fans threw missiles at Zwane after the 1-0 defeat to SuperSport United towards the end of the campaign in Rustenburg.

Orlando Pirates (1)

Jose Riveiro was hardly at risk of being fired, having won the first trophy of the season, the MTN8. However, losing twice to bitter rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the league had rubbed some of the club’s fans the wrong way until Riveiro silenced them through winning the Nedbank Cup and finishing second in the league.

Stellenbosch (1)

Stellenbosch started and finished the season with one coach, Steve Barker. There was never a point where Barker looked like he was going to lose his job as Stellies always made sure they bounce back quickly after going through a slump.

SuperSport United (1)

Gavin Hunt rejoined SuperSport and had a slow start but did manage to change things around during the season as they went on to finish stronger in the league (third) where they qualified for the CAF Confederation Cup. He was not under pressure this past season even with SuperSport’s sorry cup record.

TS Galaxy (1)

Sead Ramovic, was in his second season with Galaxy and was lucky to have finished the season as he was one of the coaches who were under pressure during the campaign with unsatisfactory results sometimes. But he did manage to scrap them there and there as the Rockets went on to finish 10th on the table.