Zizwe United manager Mike Siheke has confirmed that Julius “JD” Dube will again be at the helm of the club for the upcoming ABC Motsepe Second Division campaign.
“Yes, he (Dube) remains our coach,” Siheke confirmed to No Bones with Jones via WhatsApp.
Dube is arguably the club’s most successful coach after winning the Second Division title on a few occasions – only to fall short at the national playoffs.
Dube, a former Chippa United and Mthatha Bucks manager, was on the other hand dumbstruck when congratulated on his appointment as manager for the new season.
” That’s news to me, boet,” was Dube’s response. “I am still waiting for that news,” he added.
It is evident that the Nyanga-based outfit and their head coach for the new season are not on the same page. This could be worrisome for the Zizwe-faithful taking into account that they start their 2023/’24 campaign on 15 October with the Nedbank Cup Round of 16 against Ubuntu.
Furthermore, our website has been informed that five players have already left the club in search of greener pastures with clubs up north. Siheke brushed off this saying: “The club always keep most of our players.”
Meanwhile, Siheke also gave his version of their legal battle with Young Bafana regarding the legitimacy of two of Bafana’s players, Seraaj Williams and Sixolisiwe Madolwana.
This caused much irritation at Safa Western Cape where the chairperson, Tankiso Modipa, felt that Zizwe’s action soured Bafana’s maiden success in the league.
Modipa maintained from the outset that Bafana is the legitimate champion, but Zizwe alleged that the Strand-based club was not honest in its dealings when it double-registered the players without the necessary clearances for them.
Zizwe still pursued legal steps which ultimately blew up in their face after both clubs had spent more than a quarter of a million rand on legal fees after the High Court in the Western Cape ruled in favour of Bafana.
Siheke maintains that wherever there is a need to challenge incompetency and corruption off the field, they will do so as they don’t fear anyone.
“I don’t think any of those clubs really knew what really happened, including Young Bafana,” Siheke explained. “We stood up against what we thought was wrong and we have no regrets whatsoever.
“However, every club that is serious about football must ask itself why we have rules in football and what’s the point of having rules if those in leadership disregard those very same rules,” Siheke concluded.
