Doctor-Turned-Coach Confirms He Is Staying For Betway Premiership
Milford coach Xanti Pupuma has explained why he decided to remain at the club, saying the players were the biggest reason behind his change of heart.
Pupuma guided Milford to promotion to the Betway Premiership after the club successfully negotiated the promotion/relegation playoffs.
Shortly after the final playoff match, Pupuma revealed that he was considering stepping away from coaching to focus on his other professional commitments.
A qualified gynaecologist by profession, he believed assistant coaches Michael Gumede and Nkululeko Buthelezi were capable of taking charge of the team.
However, Pupuma has since confirmed that the players played a significant role in convincing him to remain at the club for at least one more season to help the squad settle into life in the top flight.
“It’s actually the players more than the management because I really thought about it,” said Pupuma.
“The aim and the purpose is to make sure that the guys I’m working with are ready to take over the team. I don’t think we’ll need to look for anybody else, so the feeling was that they needed a little more time with me to guide them.
“It might be six months, or it might be 12 months. We’ll see how it goes. They are also working towards getting their coaching badges.
“So, in a way, it made sense to me because the boys asked me to stay for one season until we get settled, while the coaches become more accustomed to the responsibilities that come with making decisions on the bench and in the technical area. I’m staying for the team and waiting for the right moment to step aside.”
The Stallions, who finished runners-up to AmaZulu in the KZN Premier’s Cup this past weekend, a pre-season tournament sponsored by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sport, will begin their Betway Premiership campaign against defending champions Orlando Pirates at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday.
“The plan is to stay for the whole season. It won’t be more than the next 12 months because I have other things that I need to do, and if I continue, I’ll only be blocking the growth of Zane and Mike,” he continued.
“So, at some point, I’ll need to step aside. I’ll still be involved in some decisions and offer advice where I can. It’s not like I’m going to disappear. It just means moving out of the technical area and back into the stands.”
