Khompela leaves troubled Moroka Swallows
The club announced his departure on Monday night and insisted it was a mutual decision that was in the interest of both parties.
Former Moroka Swallows head coach, Steve Khompela. Picture: @Moroka_Swallows/X
JOHANNESBURG - Steve Khompela's time as the Moroka Swallows head coach has come to an end after seven months.
The club announced his departure on Monday night and insisted it was a mutual decision that was in the interest of both parties.
Khompela was in charge during a difficult period where Swallows experienced financial trouble and couldn’t pay salaries on time. This led to the Dube Birds being unable to field a team for two DSTV Premiership games in December against Mamelodi Sundowns and Golden Arrows as the unpaid players went on strike.
Swallows have since sunk into a deeper mess after they were fined R1 million, R600,000 of which is suspended for 24 months, by the PSL’s Disciplinary Committee and forfeited six log points for misconduct and bringing the league into disrepute.
Khompela joined the club in July after a successful time as an assistant coach at Sundowns and leaves his team in 13th place on the DSTV Premiership table, six points away from the relegation zone.
In his statement, released on Instagram, Khompela thanked his players and staff for their resilience and professionalism under tough circumstances.
Previous economic battles forced Swallows into liquidation and they disappeared from the South African football landscape after suffering two consecutive relegations in 2015 and 2016. There are fears that the latest turn of events at one of the grand old clubs of Soweto could lead to history repeating itself.