Dismissed or demoted!
An ugly altercation has recently transpired between Mochudi Centre Chiefs (MCC)’s care taker coach, Itumeleng Duiker and the management of the team. Just last week, allegations surfaced that Duiker was dismissed from work but MCC management wasted no time and refuted the claims. Duiker has however, when approached this week, accused MCC management of lying to the nation.“I hear they are denying but I can assure you that they informally broke the news to me last week. I have actually been away since Wednesday. My relationship with the team Manager, Zaahid Jalal had reached a boiling point,” Duiker said this week. Duiker lamented that Jalal was always stepping on his toes and even going to the extent of deciding his first eleven. He claims that Jalal fired and signed new players without even consulting him. Duiker felt disrespected and found it hard to play the game that he, as coach, wanted. “I told him that I will not operate according to his terms, I am open for suggestions but the final word should be mine because they have my name out there as coach. When we are not performing, I get the entire lashing from supporters, not him,” a seething Duiker said. Nevertheless, Duiker said the reason why there is confusion is because Jalal took the decision to unilaterally cut him off and other team officials are not happy. It is even tricky because he was not given a dismissal letter. He shares that he had nothing but love for MCC, having found it in a sorry state and was trying to rebuild the players' confidence. Evidently enough, when the league resumed from the festive break, MCC had seemed to have revamped, going five games without a loss and moving from bottom placed to their current 14th position. “Many had given up on the team, even Jalal when I arrived he was in charge of the gate takings. Now he has returned and barking instructions left right and centre, only because he saw light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. Duiker is also accusing MCC of playing hide and seek with his dues. The seemingly frustrated coach said that Jalal and club Chairman Raymond Tsheko were supposed to meet him last week but as of this past Monday, they were giving him excuses.“He is lying, we were supposed to meet him on Thursday yes, but because of other commitments the meeting did not materialize but I have told him that we will meet this week,” Tsheko said. Tsheko explained that they have not dismissed Duiker instead his role as care -taker coach has lapsed. “We only told him that the management has taken a decision to retain him as an assistant and not hire him as coach because a new coach will soon take over, there is no dismissal letter,” Tsheko defended. The Chairman of the Kgatleng based team said that Duiker could not continue giving instructions to the team because as per employment act, he only has to act on the instructions given to him by his boss, being the team head coach to be appointed. Quizzed why MCC was quick to remove Duiker from his position even though they have not come out to name a new coach yet, Tsheko answered to say their decision was well calculated and was not haphazard, “I beg that we be respected on our decision because there is reason to it, even supporters should rest assured that we acted on the great benefit of the team,” he said. He said that if things go well they will name their new head coach this week. Meanwhile, when reached Jalal said he does not want to comment on his alleged bittersweet relationship with Duiker. However, he maintained that Duiker has not been dismissed and he is still their assistant coach.