Following the announcement of a new sponsorship worth R100 million from Phakwe Gas, Richards Bay is set to undergo transformation, with the current technical under the spotlight ahead of the new season.
The Natal Rich Boyz announced on Wednesday that they had inked a sponsorship deal with Phakwe gas, who will pump R20 million per season for a period of three years and also inject a further R40 million to sweeten the deal.
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According to Phakwe Gas chairman and CEO Thabiso Tenyane, the R40 million is earmarked to immediately start improving the personnel of the team, as the other R60 million will mainly focus on building facilities.
The KwaZulu-Natal side came close to being relegated last season after they finished 15th in the DStv Premiership and only saved their top flight status via the play-offs.
There have been reports that have linked Vilakazi with an exit from the club, which prompted the coastal outfit to release a statement that dismissed rumours that 'Kanu' has left the club.
Outlining his ambitions, Tenyane says his intention is for Richards Bay to compete with the biggest teams in the country and suggested that for them to do that, they need to beef up the technical team.
"I would not have gone to that level of discussions but on a high level, where I'm sitting, how did Richards Bay end up in relegation [play-offs]? How do you assess? Don't assess the coming back," Tenyane said on 947's MSW when asked about the future of Vilakazi.
"My brand is now associated with Richards Bay FC, we're talking about a brand that is bringing the billion-dollar project, so my concentration would not be football but the business I run as an executive chair.
"I want to compete with Chiefs, Pirates, Sundowns, Stellenbosch, I want to beat them, I want [Richards Bay] FC to beat them, then therefore, what do you do? You need a top coach, at the level where when we challenge Chiefs or Pirates they can be respecting each other. I'm not saying they don't respect Vusi. I'm saying if you're coming from relegation, you need to capacitate yourself fully. The structure of coaching must be looked at and must be beefed up," Tenyane added.
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Vilakazi was not present at the announcement of multi-million sponsorship from Phakwe gas, where Richards Bay also unveiled the signings of Thabiso Kutumela Siyethemba Sithebe, Keagan Allan, Fezile Gcaba, Sbani Mntungwa and Tlakusani Mthethwa.
"The unavailability of the coach [Vilakazi] in the launch was due to him attending the CAF B Diploma course and he remains coach of the club," Richards Bay said in part, in a statement.