Golden Arrows coach Vusimuzi Vilakazi on Sunday night dropped a bombshell, announcing via his Facebook account that he has left the club.
However, that post was deleted minutes later, although Vilakazi went on to confirm the development to SABC Sport.
SN24 has since established why Vilakazi has abruptly left the club despite the excellent start to the season.
Arrows are in second place after five games, having won three, drew one and lost one so far. They have collected 10 points out of a possible 15, marking an excellent start to the 2023/24 DStv Premiership campaign.
It has since emerged that Vilakazi’s sin at Arrows was not giving game time to the club owner, Mato Madlala’s son, Lungelo Dube.
The 27-year-old Dube plays for Abafana Bes’thende as a central midfielder and is known to throw tantrums when substituted.
It appears a decision not to play him in some games is the reason behind the exit of Vilakazi, who has been serving as co-coach with Mabhuti Khenyeza.
Vilakazi was reportedly unhappy with Dube’s attitude and performance and subbed him off in a recent match.
VUSIMUZI VILIKAZI HAD FALLOUT WITH THE CLUB OWNER’S SON
“He had a fallout with the club owner’s son. The issue was game time,” a source told SN24.
The defensive midfielder has started three of the club’s five matches this season. In one of them, he was hooked off after the hour mark.
OTHER SOCCER NEWS: VILIKAZI TOOK HUGE PAY CUT TO JOIN SEKUHKHUNE
In February, The Citizen newspaper reported that the club’s win over Kaizer Chiefs was “soured by one of their players’ behaviour after his substitution”.
The publication wrote: “He (Dube) was replaced by Siyabonga Khumalo, who came on and stopped Chiefs’ midfield dominance, while Arrows started to play well.
“But it has since emerged that Dube did not take kindly to this move by the coaches and threw a tantrum in the dressing room.”
Madlala has not commented, and the club has yet to issue a statement.
The 40-year-old coach was quoted by local media saying he was leaving the club to focus on his coaching badges.
His departure is a blow to Golden Arrows, who had started the season well after finishing ninth last season.
It is unclear who will replace Vilakazi as co-coach. However, Khenyeza will likely continue in charge while the club seeks a new coach.
The fallout between Vilakazi and Dube is a reminder of the challenges that can arise when a coach works for a club owned by a family. In this case, the personal relationship between Vilakazi and Madlala’s son ultimately led to the coach’s exit.
It remains to be seen how Golden Arrows will fare in the absence of Vilakazi. However, the team will need to find a way to unite and focus on their football if they are to continue doing well.