Cape Town – AmaZulu head coach Romain Folz has revealed details surrounding the sudden departure of some of the club’s most experienced players last week.
The 32-year-old mentor is said to have given the green light for the release of Ramahlwe Mphahlele (33) and Keagan Buchanan (31), a decision that has surprised many considering the duo’s importance in the team weekly.
Buchanan featured 19 times for Usuthu in all competitions, his last appearance being in the embarrassing Nedbank Cup exit at the hands of lowly Dondol Stars, where he received his marching orders.
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For Mphahlele, it seemed to be a season of re-establishment as he made 22 appearances for the Kwazulu Natal-based club, but he was axed from its immediate plans by the club.
Folz has now revealed that the decision made by him and the club are based on an attempt to advance the club’s plans.
“We decided to let them go elsewhere as I believe it is best for the team and best for the club,” Folz told the media yesterday.
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He then added: “I’m not sending any specific message based on the situation alone. I’m sending the same message that I’ve always sent... since I arrived. I always do what is best for the team and that’s my only priority.
“We have a clear vision of where we want to go. It is a process where things don’t happen immediately. So, you have to make decisions and we go in a way we are looking to go. We follow the steps to the project that we want to set.”
Usuthu currently occupies 10th spot on the DStv premiership log and have won two of their past ten league matches, losing three and drawing the other five, putting them closer to the relegation zone than to the top four that the club had envisioned.
However, even with numerous murmurs about the decision to release Buchanan and Mphahlele immediately, Folz has moved to dismiss any suggestions of ill-discipline from the duo, reiterating that it was a footballing decision.
"There was never a problem with discipline in the team. This is something I need you to understand,” he said.
“There are other factors we need to consider, but every decision we take is always for the benefit of the team and looking to improve from what we currently have. Every decision we make is to get a positive result and outcome.”
@ScribeSmiso