Maritzburg United are reportedly closing in on appointing a new head coach, with Shaun Bartlett and Vladislav Heric emerging as the frontrunners for the job.
The KwaZulu-Natal club are currently without a coach following the dismissal of Zitha Dlangalala this week.
Bartlett is the former coach of Cape Town Spurs and has also had stints as an assistant at Kaizer Chiefs, TS Galaxy and Golden Arrows. He is a well-respected figure in South African football after helping Spurs gain promotion to the topflight.
Heric is a Serbian coach who has held several coaching jobs in South Africa. He has worked for 16 local clubs, including Maritzburg United and Black Leopards. The club’s management is reportedly leaning towards him.
It is understood that Maritzburg United have had informal talks with Bartlett and Heric, and a decision on who will be the new coach is expected to be made in the coming days.
Vladislav Heric is seen as the favourite for the job, but Bartlett is also a strong contender. The decision is likely to come down to who the club believes is the best person to lead them forward.
WHAT TRIGGERED MARITZBURG UNITED’S DECISION TO SACK DLANGALALA
The Pietermaritzburg outfit is currently in seventh place in the Motsepe Foundation Championship after 13 games.
Dlangalala guided them to five wins during his time in charge. In the last six matches, they have only won once. The final straw was when Pretoria Callies picked up their first win over them. Callies beat the former DStv Premiership side 3-1 over the weekend.
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The club’s statement read: “Maritzburg United Football Club would like to express its appreciation to Coach Dlangalala for his dedication, hard work and contributions during his tenure with the club.”
It further said the club wishes him the best of luck in his future endeavours. The club has initiated the search for a new head coach and will provide updates as the process progresses.