Unam sacks unfazed Kanalelo
• Tension mounts due to Botswana trip
The former Brave Warriors goalkeeper, and now assistant coach, has confirmed that he was sacked by Unam FC, having only won five matches.
After 15 matches, which saw the team celebrating five wins and suffering three draws and seven losses in the first half of the Debmarine Premiership season, the University of Namibia (Unam) Football Club has sacked head coach Ronnie Kanalelo.
Kanaleleo took charge of the side in October 2022, with former international team-mate Robert Nauseb working as his assistant. He had worked at Unam before, from 2016 until late 2018.
The university team was allegedly unhappy with their 11th position on the log, with the first half of the season having concluded recently.
Kanalelo’s extra activities seemingly took him away from his club duties as he also serves as the assistant coach for the Brave Warriors, and was in the process of upgrading his Confederation of African Football (CAF) A licence in Botswana.
Kanalelo confirmed his sacking to the Namibian Sun sports desk after online platform Thrupass Football Magazine broke the news.
'Doesn't make sense'
The former goal-stopper said his previous contract with Unam states that a coach must upgrade his skills and that's what he was doing. “But for someone to tell me not to go to Botswana while I have spent so much money on the A licence does not make sense. And this coming from an institution of higher learning! The A licence is non-negotiable,” Kanalelo fumed.
He was told he has too many responsibilities, he added.
“They found me having responsibilities when they asked me to coach Unam. I was the assistant coach at the national team [at the time].”
Kanalelo further said if a club wants to reach the second and third position on the log, meetings should be held to strategise how to reach to those positions instead of only discussing such things in corridors.
The gaffer said he hopes the job is given to Nauseb as he knows the environment. “However, if they don’t give him what we asked for over the past five months, they will still have the same problem,” he stressed.
Looking ahead
Meanwhile, Kanalelo is looking ahead, and shared he has been in talks with other local clubs, as well as sides in South Africa and Botswana.
“I told them 'let’s see what happens after the completion of my A licence', and, of course, the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations starting in January."
Other clubs that have parted ways with their coaches in the Debmarine Premiership are Ongos FC and Orlando Pirates.
Ongos is in third place with 10 wins from 15 matches, while Pirates are bottom-feeders, having only won two matches from 15 played.
Kanaleleo took charge of the side in October 2022, with former international team-mate Robert Nauseb working as his assistant. He had worked at Unam before, from 2016 until late 2018.
The university team was allegedly unhappy with their 11th position on the log, with the first half of the season having concluded recently.
Kanalelo’s extra activities seemingly took him away from his club duties as he also serves as the assistant coach for the Brave Warriors, and was in the process of upgrading his Confederation of African Football (CAF) A licence in Botswana.
Kanalelo confirmed his sacking to the Namibian Sun sports desk after online platform Thrupass Football Magazine broke the news.
'Doesn't make sense'
The former goal-stopper said his previous contract with Unam states that a coach must upgrade his skills and that's what he was doing. “But for someone to tell me not to go to Botswana while I have spent so much money on the A licence does not make sense. And this coming from an institution of higher learning! The A licence is non-negotiable,” Kanalelo fumed.
He was told he has too many responsibilities, he added.
“They found me having responsibilities when they asked me to coach Unam. I was the assistant coach at the national team [at the time].”
Kanalelo further said if a club wants to reach the second and third position on the log, meetings should be held to strategise how to reach to those positions instead of only discussing such things in corridors.
The gaffer said he hopes the job is given to Nauseb as he knows the environment. “However, if they don’t give him what we asked for over the past five months, they will still have the same problem,” he stressed.
Looking ahead
Meanwhile, Kanalelo is looking ahead, and shared he has been in talks with other local clubs, as well as sides in South Africa and Botswana.
“I told them 'let’s see what happens after the completion of my A licence', and, of course, the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations starting in January."
Other clubs that have parted ways with their coaches in the Debmarine Premiership are Ongos FC and Orlando Pirates.
Ongos is in third place with 10 wins from 15 matches, while Pirates are bottom-feeders, having only won two matches from 15 played.
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