The sacking of Kaitano Tembo
as the SuperSport United head coach in the South African premier league has
left a bitter taste in the mouth.
Tembo had taken the reigns
at the Pretoria-based club in 2018, taking over from Eric Tinkler who had a
somewhat difficult short stint in charge.
Things changed for the
better when Tembo stepped in, despite United finishing sixth at the end of the
season. The following season, 2019/20, he delivered the MTN8 cup. Tembo was
enjoying a working understanding with his youthful squad as many of the players
were developed under his watch in the club's relatively successful academy.
That season he finished fifth in the league, same position as in 2020/21. His
work in the past two seasons has been made difficult by him losing his key
players, mainly to crosstown rich boys, Mamelodi Sundowns.
The heaviest blow was when
United's talisman Teboho Mokoena left for Sundowns in January this year,
leaving Tembo and the team in serious limbo. Before him, other
Matsatsantsa-A-Pitori (Smart young things of Pretoria) stars left during
Tembo's tenure include Aubrey Modiba and Grant Kekana, also to Sundowns.
Creative midfielder Sipho
Mbule is the last real star remaining at United but the recent big departures
have clearly played havoc on his state of mind, and has not been the same
player in recent month. The same can be said about the entire squad which,
naturally, is feeling despondent about losing the gifted teammates and
leaders.
Now with Mbule strongly
linked with a move to Kaizer Chiefs at the end of the current season in two
months' time, Tembo responded with a feeling resignation when SowetanLIVE asked
him about Mbule's future last month.
“I don't think we need to
focus on that, the most important thing is Sipho Mbule is a SuperSport United
player at the moment, that's our focus,” Tembo responded.
“What happens at the end of
the season we cannot control that in football. But for now, I know that he's
our player."
But that optimism by the
clearly under pressure Tembo was given a mighty kick in the teeth by United
management who has suspended Mbule, for being open about his interest to join
Chiefs next season as a free agent. His contract ends in June, and he has
rejected new offer by United. Even more disingenuous is the fact that United
fires Tembo just days after executing Mbule's suspension, which is practically
a sacking.
Other people might look at
Tembo league record to find justification for his sacking - 55 wins from 135
matches, with 42 draws and 38 defeats. A 40% winning rate is not a stuff of
standing ovations but truth must be told; Tembo's win percentage was hugely cut
down by a string of defeats this year. All had not been well at the club and
that was not Tembo's fault.
United's former captain's
technical acumen as a football coach could not hold sway in boardroom matters
but the same board cannot provide any evidence of giving Tembo the support he
needed to navigate the stormy waters for his team.
The club did not sign
quality replacements for the big stars that had left. The club relied on its
young stars and a few middle-of-the-road signees they secured to surge forward.
Clearly that was enough. Quality in football is everything while rising stars also
have a role to the two must work in sync like industrial nuts and bolts.
The final straw was the
suspension of Mbule. What kind of motivation is that for a team whose want for
inspiration is clearly huge?
You got to feel sympathy for
Tembo for his loyalty. When rumours made rounds a week ago that Benni McCarthy
was heading to SuperSport United after he was sacked by AmaZulu, Tembo
responded to SowetanLIVE's enquiry again: "I'm not bothered by the
rumours. I'm focusing on my work [and] I will still be here next season."
This was ahead of United's
Nedbank Cup quarterfinal clash against second-tier TTM (Tshakhuma Tsha
Madzivhandila) at the weekend. United lost 3-2 after extra-time, after going
2-0 up earlier in the match and missing several chances to take their lead out
of sight for TTM.
A few days later United CEO
Stan Matthews announced Tembo's axing, saying losing to lower league club was
the final straw. After that Matthews sang praises of Tembo for his hard work,
determination and loyalty.
If that is the case, then
why didn't the club allow Tembo to finish and determine his league season, and
decide at the end of it whether he is worth spending real money to recruit real
talent for the new season?
I think Kaitano Tembo was
mistreated by SuperSport in the last months of 23 years of loyal service.
