Durban - Kingsmead was in shock on Monday morning after the news filtered through that coach Lance Klusener had been fired.
Klusener went in to chief executive Pete de Wet’s office on Monday morning after completing a week’s leave fishing in Mozambique, received the news of his dismissal and was told to pack his bags.
There was no consultation, no concrete reasons given for his dismissal and certainly no press conference to announce the news and take questions.
It was the second major incident at the union in the last month following their decision to suspend and then unsuspend Dolphins’ player Robbie Frylinck for an alleged assault on teammate Aya Myoli.
Klusener, whose two-year contract was due to finish at the end of April, had widely been expected to be offered an optional extra year.
Klusener described the decision as “very strange” and added that he was “very surprised and disappointed by the board’s decision, considering the progress of the side in the last four years. I am a proud son of the soil of KZN and I have relished every moment of coaching the team”.
A senior member of the Dolphins said on Monday that the black African players, in particular, were deeply affected by the news.
Khaya Zondo and Andile Phehlukwayo, in particular, were said to be upset.
The union has handed his job to B team coach Roger Telemachus and Academy coach Yashin Ebrahim as joint interim coaches of the senior side while Klusener’s assistant, Rivash Gobind, has been given the job of coaching the provincial team. Shukri Conrad is the early favourite to take over.
The Star