Golden Arrows co-coach Musa Bilankulu insists that their defeat to Richards Bay at Mpumalanga Stadium on Saturday in the Betway Premiership was not a direct result of co-coach Mabhuti Khenyeza’s absence from the dugout.

Fed-up Khenyeza, as Sportswire revealed last week, decided to step away from the club because he felt his work was being undermined by the club.  

The club also confirmed that Khenyeza was away from club for close to two weeks and it doesn’t appear like the situation will improve as Sportswire has been informed that he has been left angry by the club’s interference in his work.  

This is despite the fact they won the two matches to move to sixth in the table, before he decided to step away from the club.  

As he was away on Saturday, Arrows’ two games winning streak was ended by struggling Bay, who registered their second win of the season and the first under co-coaches Ronnie Gabriel and Sboniso Gumede.   

Despite Khenyeza’s absence, Bilankulu emphasized the collaborative nature of their coaching approach: “It was not difficult to prepare because we have been working together, the three of us (including Kagisho Dikgacoi),” said Bilankulu. 

“The absent of coach Mabhuti; now we had to take over what we have been doing because we had programs. It’s unlike as if it was him alone, leading the sessions and everything. 

“But, because we were all giving ideas, planning training sessions together even before time, I still think that this thing happened (Khenyeza stepped away was not the result that we lost). 

“We saw that we are in this stage, we had to be professional and focused on the game. I don’t want to say to impact (of losing the game) it is because of that (Khenyeza’s absent), because even the team, during the preparation, everyone was working very hard, looking good. 

“So, I cannot fault the players, everyone, or the tactical team. We tried our best and this was our best. But I still believe we could have won the game, it was so unfortunate that we couldn’t even convert the chances in the second half.”  

The defeat dropped Arrows to seventh in the Betway Premiership table with 13 points from nine matches. Meanwhile, Richards Bay climbed off the bottom of the table to 15th with eight points from 11 matches, ending a five-game losing streak that led to the departure of former coach Brandon Truter.