BUFFS PLAYERS NOT HAPPY ABOUT ‘STOFU’
MBABANE – “‘Stofu’ brought division among the players, they don’t want him.”
These were the exact words of an impeccable source close to the 2022/23 MTN Premier League runners-up Young Buffaloes, who revealed that some senior players were not happy about the way Head Coach Mandla ‘Stofu’ Dlamini was running the team. Amathol’ezinyathi made history by finishing the season without losing a single match, however, their effort was not enough for them to clinch the ‘Holy Grail’ of local football. It was rivals Green Mamba, who eventually became champions.
The source alleged that the towering former Mbabane Swallows gaffer lacked dressing room management and such had brought division among the players. This division according to the source, was the reason the team failed to win the league. “The players said the coach did not consult with the senior players as well as the other technical bench members and this has brought confusion within the team,” the source explained. The source continued to allege that the players were fed up with the coach such that they collectively declared that they would not return to the club unless Dlamini was shown the exit door. It was also revealed that even some of his technical bench members vowed not to return for pre-season too if ‘Stofu’ would remain in charge.
Tactics
“The players felt like they had not learnt anything from ‘Stofu’ as he doesn’t have tactics, but only bolstering that he was once a Swallows coach,” the source claimed. It was further brought to this publication’s attention that the gaffer decided to sideline most of the experienced players and at one point he allegedly told them point blank that they were not good enough to play for the team. Meanwhile, the army side Skipper Nhlanhla ‘Chippa’ Gwebu did not want to comment on the allegations as he said they were still waiting for the management to address them concerning any developments in the team. The former Malanti Chiefs shot-stopper said they were looking forward to pre-season to prepare for the 2023/24 TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup. On the other hand, the coach did not want to comment on the allegations levelled against him.
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