Ex-Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana defender Tefu Mashamaite has broken his silence following his departure as head coach of the SAFA Limpopo ABC Motsepe League side Phalaborwa United, just after two games in charge.
The amateur side roped in Mashamaite in September this year following their promotion to the South African third-tier league, with a mandate to help the club gain promotion to the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
However, barely a month into the job, the club’s hierarchy succumbed to a decision to cut ties with the 41-year-old coach after the Nedbank Cup qualification phase setback over the weekend.
This comes after Phalaborwa United suffered a 4-3 defeat on penalties to Nkowankowa Continental FC at the Nkowankowa Stadium in Tzaneen on Saturday, 25 October 2025. The match ended 0-0 in regulation time.
This was Mashamaite’s first coaching gig at the Limpopo outfit, having recently completed his SAFA CAF D Coaching License.
WHAT TEFU MASHAMAITE SAID AFTER HIS EXIT FROM PHALABORWA UNITED
In an exclusive interview with FARPost, Mashamaite disclosed that he was not aware of what influenced the decision for the club to let him go just after he had taken charge of two games since his arrival at the club.
In those two matches that the former Bidvest Wits man took charge of, he managed to win one and draw the other, which he sadly lost on penalties.
“Well, under my coaching, we played two games and managed to win one and draw one [lost on penalties]. So, I don’t know [what influenced the club to release him],” Mashamaite told FARPost.
“However, my stay at Phalaborwa United was a self-discovery journey. I found out that I still have a passion for the beautiful game.
“I also discovered that Phalaborwa is a talent hotspot for football. I would have loved to have stayed longer because I would have had time to unearth some more talent.”
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