Siviwe Mpengesi appoints Daine Klate as new Chippa United head coach
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Former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana midfielder Daine Klate has been appointed as Chippa United’s new head coach FILE - Former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana midfielder Daine Klate has been appointed as Chippa United’s new head coach. Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
Cape Town — Siviwe 'Chippa' Mpengesi, the unpredictable Chippa United owner, has sprung another surprise by naming a greenhorn Daine Klate to take over the head coach's duties at the club.
On average Mpengesi hires and fires his coaches three times a year and his last coach, Kurt Lentjies, who fared decently as a stand-in option and saved the team from relegation, was placed on 'special leave'.
Not too long ago, Mpengesi hogged the headlines after he announced he was running for the SAFA presidency in recent elections. Fortunately, he pulled out just as Bafana Bafana fans started dreading that he won the elections, the national team would have a new coach every four months.
Of late speculation was rife that former Maritzburg mentor Ernst Middendorp was the leading candidate to replace Lentjies as the head coach.
But Mpengesi chose to give the former SuperSport and Orlando Pirates midfielder Klate his first head coaching role in the DStv Premiership.
On Monday, the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium-based club announced: “Chippa United FC is pleased to announce the appointment of Daine Klate as the Head Coach for the 2022/2023 season. Daine, a native of Gqeberha is one of the most decorated players of all time in South African football, having won many titles in the domestic league.
“Having acquired his FIFA B licence coaching credentials and awaiting completion of his A licence currently, Daine has served as our DStv Diski Challenge coach over the course of 2 seasons and has performed extraordinarily well, finishing 4th in the 2021 /2022 league.
“The team is also currently in the semi-finals of DStv Diski Shield. Daine will be assisted by Bruce July and Siya Gwambi and we wish him all the best as he embarks on this mammoth task.”
Klate played 14 matches for Chippa during the 2018-19 season and has 13 caps for Bafana Bafana.
IOL Sport