Stanley “Bingo” Kgatla has stepped down as Winning coach.
By: Refilwe Sebola
Soccer legend Stanley “Bingo” Kgatla has stepped down as the head coach of Winnerspark.
This decision comes after the recent acquisition of the club by new owners Ramuthaka Dakalo and Aubrey Ngobeni, who have secured a majority shareholding of the BBellevue-based club.
They have appointed Joel Mongalo as the new head coach, and Mongalo selected Isaac Senyolo to be his assistant.
Kgatla joined Winnerspark at the beginning of last month under challenging circumstances, as he did not have the opportunity for preseason preparation. His inaugural match was an away fixture against last season’s Stream A champions, Mpheni Defenders, which ended in a controversial 1-0 defeat due to a penalty decision.
He achieved victory in his second match, winning 2-1 against Black Leopard at Xikokwana Stadium, but faced further difficulties, including a 1-0 loss to Selwani White Vultures at Selwane Sports Complex and another 1-0 defeat to last season’s Stream B champions, Tzaneen United, at Nkowankowa Stadium.
Kgatla’s contributions to Winnerspark have been recognized by many soccer enthusiasts, including his former assistant, Isaac Senyolo, and club representative Mokgola.
Senyolo acknowledged the challenges Kgatla faced in taking over a team that needed quality underage players and a skilled natural centre-back. He noted an improvement in the team’s performance during the second half of matches when underage substitutions were allowed.
Senyolo’s sentiments were echoed by Mokgola, emphasizing that the team’s three losses were due to external factors rather than poor performance on the field.
Kgatla expressed gratitude to Mokgola for the opportunity to lead Winnerspark and mentioned that the team was beginning to adapt to his coaching philosophy.
“They were improving and starting to play very well. They had structure and direction. All we needed was an influx of talented underage players and a seasoned central defender. With those adjustments, we could have impressed many competitors,” he remarked.
The former player for Platinum Stars, AmaZulu, and Bafana Bafana is now exploring new coaching opportunities and is open to offers from any team in need of his expertise.