Following the departure of former head coach Rulani Mokwena at Mamelodi Sundowns, Kickoff has the latest information regarding the club's search for a new head coach.
After parting ways with Mokwena, Sundowns in the same statement announced that Manqoba Mngqithi will be leading the team in the interim, with pre-season preparations already underway.
The Brazilians also moved swiftly to re-appoint Steve Komphela as a senior coach, to assist Mngqithi, whose position is yet to be clearly defined after the 37-year-old coach left the club.
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In fact, the 53-year-old coach is out of contract at the Tshwane giants and his business manager Mike Makaab, CEO of ProSport International, is still in negotiations with Masandawana over a new deal, with the departure of Mokwena complicating the talks.
KickOff has it on good authority that Sundowns are working around the clock to secure a new head coach ahead of the new season.
After the likes of Josef Zinnbauer and Patrice Carteron were reported to have been engaged by Masandawana, this website has now been reliably informed that Cape Town Spurs head coach Ernst Middendorp has thrown his hat in the ring!
Middendorp initially parted ways with Spurs following their relegation in the DStv Premiership and this publication has been led to believe that the German tactician had set his sights on remaining in the PSL with a different club, as he did not see himself coaching in the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
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However, after the former Kaizer Chiefs mentor could not find a suitable project, he made a U-turn and was welcomed back by the Urban Warriors.
According to a source close to Sundowns, Middendorp gained interest in the Brazilians head coach post after glowing praise from Mokwena, who expressed a desire to work with the German publicly, immediately after he was relieved of his duties by the Tshwane giants.
However, word reaching this website, from a reliable source connected with The Brazilians, is that Mokwena's successor is likely to be a Spanish coach or a coach with a Spanish background, as the successive league champions are believed to have gone past the vetting processes and are close to securing their preferred candidate.