KickOff has learned that Baroka FC's next league match against Hungry Lions will determine under-fire head coach Morgan Mammila's future at the club.
The away match set to take place at Suzuki Stadium in Kimberley on 14 September will be crucial for Mammila, who has already dropped five points from the opening two matches of the season.
READ: Mngqithi responds to noise over his job
Mammila returned to Bakgaga during last season's PSL promotion/relegation play-offs, where they woefully came up short of reaching their promotion target.
Speaking to this website on Monday, Mammila said he understands very well that in the business of football, you are hired to be fired.
According to a source, the Limpopo-based outfit has already lined up some coaches for Mammila's position.
Orbit College head coach Pogiso Makhoye, who is chairman Khurishi Mphahlele's favourite, as well as another unnamed Cape Town-born coach are said to be leading the race.
Unattached Shaun Bartlett comes in as third choice, according to our source.
These are some of the coaches earmarked to take over from Mammila if he fails to beat Hungry Lions.
In 2023, Bartlett led Cape Town Spurs to the top-flight promotion.
When he took over two years prior, the team was facing relegation from the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
Of note is that back in the 2014/15 season, the former Bafana Bafana striker guided Golden Arrows back to the elite division.
Mammila will be shown the door next week if he doesn't grab maximum points against their next opponents.
READ | RISING STARS: Pirates sign highly-rated La Masia star
"Mammila will not last beyond the next game if he draws or loses. It's a pity because he is a good coach, and the players love him," a source tells KickOff.
"Win or lose, the club was not going to fire him in their next game if they were playing in the Betway Premiership, but now the problem is, in this league, only one thing matters, and that is promotion."
Baroka will take consolation from the fact that they beat Hungry Lions in both league matches against each other last season, 2-0 (home) and 2-1 (away), respectively.