Maritzburg United have reportedly decided to sack John Maduka after the 5-0 drubbing by Mamelodi Sundowns, which brought their winless streak to five.
The club’s chairman Farook Kadodia decided to call for an emergency meeting after the game, where a decision was taken to start the process of cutting ties.
LAST MATCH
According to FARPost sources, the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Derby against Golden Arrows will be his last match in charge on Friday.
Maduka, who took over during pre-season, has reportedly lost the faith of his players.
In a meeting with the chairman, FARPost has gathered there were murmurs among players about the coach’s selection decisions and tactics.
“The players aren’t happy. There’s a feeling that there is favouritism in the squad,” said a sourc within the club.
“In fact, the chairman told the coach that some young players were working hard at training, but the coach wasn’t giving them a chance.
“The players also feel he uses religion too much in his coaching, which is not good,” said a source within the club.
After the humiliating defeat on Tuesday, Maduka admitted he did not know what would happen to him. However, he took the blame for the poor run of results.
“I don’t know, the pressure is always there, but you must remember we are trying to build a new team here,” Maduka told the media.
NEW FACES
“There are so many new faces in the club, most are new in the league, so whenever you build, these things happen.
“It is part of growth, and things like this happen. As a coach, you take the blame. We take one game at a time.”
With the long break coming due to the FIFA World Cup, the coach felt the team needed the break to find solutions to bounce back in the second round.
“The players will need this break and give us time to change things. It is not all lost. It’s not like it’s bad, we have collected some points, and on Friday, we have to win the upcoming game.”
United host Lamontville Golden Arrows at Harry Gwala Stadium on Friday. The grudge match always produces drama on and off the field.
This time, it could also mark the end of Maduka’s short era in Pietermaritzburg.
