Richards Bay FC has parted ways with coach Vusumuzi Vilakazi, as initially reported by Farpost, with the coach announcing his departure on his social media.

Kanu had steered the club to safety through the PSL promotion/relegation playoffs after a challenging league campaign that saw them finish second from bottom.

Despite offering Vilakazi a contract extension, changes appeared to be considering the club’s substantial R100 million sponsorship deal with Phakwe Gas. During the sponsorship announcement, Phakwe Gas CEO Thabiso Tenyane surprisingly revealed plans to appoint a new coach before the season started.

He was rumoured to be interested in former Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena, but it was rumored that Mokwena had a contractual clause preventing him from joining another PSL club this season. Mokwena has since joined Wydad Casablanca in Morocco.

Vilakazi joined Bay in November as senior coach to work alongside Kaitano Tembo, before taking over the head coaching role following Tembo’s departure in December. He oversaw 22 matches, recording 12 wins, eight losses, and four draws.

Sportswire understands that Pitso Mosimane and Benni McCarthy are early frontrunners for the vacant coaching position. Both coaches are currently without clubs after leaving Abha FC and Manchester United respectively.