CAPE TOWN – After months of waiting, Kaizer Chiefs fans finally know who their new coach is – and it’s a huge surprise…
Giovanni Solinas was appointed as the new boss of the Amakhosi on Friday.
He effectively replaces Steve Komphela, who stood down late last season following the 2-0 Nedbank Cup semi-final defeat to Free State Stars at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
Patrick Mabedi worked as the interim coach for the final few games of the season, but Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung has made it clear in recent weeks that the former central defender from Malawi was regarded as an assistant coach.
The appointment of Solinas puts an end to the ongoing
speculation that Stuart Baxter would return to Chiefs for a third time and quit Bafana Bafana.
Solinas is no stranger to South African football. He was previously in charge of Free State Stars from 2015 to 2017, in two different spells.
He guided Stars to 12th position in the PSL and the Nedbank Cup semi-finals in his first stint.
The 50-year-old Italian is a well-travelled mentor, having coached in Algeria, Saudi Arabia and South Africa. His last club was Al-Faisaly in Saudi in 2017.
In a Facebook Live post on Friday, Chiefs boss Kaizer Motaung said:
“This is the moment we all have been waiting for in the Kaizer Chiefs family. It gives me great pleasure at this moment in time for me to welcome our new coach in the name of Giovanni Solinas.”
@ashfakmohamed
IOL Sport