AmaZulu Secures New Technical Team Member

AmaZulu has swiftly replaced their departed head of analysis, Maposa Pilela. Tshepo Mahao, formerly of Royal AM and Bloemfontein Celtic, has been appointed to fill the position.

Mahao recently left TS Galaxy, where he held a similar role, to become Usuthu’s head of performance.

Usuthu sought a replacement for Pilela, who joined the Kenyan national team alongside Bafana Bafana legend Benni McCarthy.

McCarthy, who recently took over as Kenya’s head coach, has reunited with former colleagues, including assistant coach Vasili Manousakis and goalkeeper coach Moneeb Josephs. All three previously worked with McCarthy at AmaZulu, and he played with Josephs at Orlando Pirates towards the end of his career.

Mahao initially joined Royal AM as head of performance, tasked with scouting opposing teams, when Shauwn Mkhize acquired Bloemfontein Celtic’s Premier Soccer League status at the start of the 2021/22 season.

He was retained along with the players and coach John Maduka, and the club exceeded expectations, finishing third in the league—their highest ever position—losing only two home games.

Mahao’s opposition scouting was integral to this success. Similarly, Pilela played a crucial role in AmaZulu’s second-place finish in the 2020/21 season under McCarthy, another club record.

However, with Royal AM now under curatorship due to the South African Revenue Service (SARS) seeking to recover R40 million owed by Mkhize, Mahao departed for TS Galaxy.

Royal AM is currently undergoing an auction process, with curator Jaco Venter reopening the tender after SARS failed to sell the club on Thursday.

A proposed deal with Durban businessman Roy Moodley fell through due to a missed payment deadline.