Vilakazi may land BMC juniors� coaching job

Thato Kala | Friday February 14, 2014 15:47

Vilakazi had his contract terminated at the beginning of the month and sought the intervention of the Footballers’ Union of Botswana (FUB) over what he felt was unfair dismissal. The club claims they issued him his letter of termination seven days before the transfer window closed and insists that was enough time for him to look for a club.

However, the union has stood in for Vilakazi arguing that football is his only source of livelihood and a month-long notice would have been ideal.

In an effort to amicably end the potentially messy contractual fight, the club has reportedly offered him a junior coaching role.

BMC are in the process of setting up an Under-17 team and Vilakazi could be the first member of the junior’s technical team. Vilakazi returned to Botswana on Tuesday, apparently armed with his coaching qualification, and negotiations are said to be ongoing.

“We needed to end this (contractual fight) and felt giving him a junior coaching role was the right thing to do,” said a club source. Coaching will not be new to Vilakazi after he took charge of Swazi Premier League team Malanti Chiefs on an interim basis last year in February. This was after the departure of their coach Kenny Ndlazi. In a telephone interview, Vilakazi said he was still in the country to size up available opportunities and is considering the coaching role.

In fact, Vilakazi has previously said he wants to help groom young players in Botswana.

“I am aware of the coaching role thing, but at the moment there is nothing concrete on it,” he told Mmegi Sport. Vilakazi claims he has obtained a CAF B License and is able to coach anywhere in Africa.

BMC manager Nelson Radijeng said setting up an Under17 team was in the pipeline, but refused to comment on Vilakazi taking up the coaching job for the juniors. “We are presently engaging ‘Tso’ (Vilakazi) on his contract; the union inquired how we terminated it. We are still talking about his termination,” Radijeng said. He said it was important to set up junior structures as part of the Bosele Declaration resolutions.