More often than not, the result is an acrimonious dismissal. It has become the norm that when a team is winning, credit goes to the players and when it struggles, the coach is crucified. Most coaches have found this a bitter pill to swallow, especially when they are shown the door. That is what happened when Nico United fired Willard Mashinkila-Khumalo on Tuesday. The coach was seething following his dismissal but he should have probably known that he was in a minefield when he joined a club with a rich history of dismissing coaches.
Recent statistics are likely to leave Nico at the summit of the clubs with a high turn-over of coaches. Some of the coaches who have been victims of the revolving door in the last seven seasons are Luke Masomere, Paul Gundani, Paul Moyo, Jim Mwale, Peter Muchina, Peter Sakonda, Madinda Ndlovu, Guston Mutobo and Johannes Tshuma and now Mashinkila-Khumalo. This means 11 coaches in seven seasons, which does not augur well for continuity. The only coach who lasted more than one season at Nico in the last seven years is Ndlovu.
