Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Platinum starring role looms for Pirates treble-winning coach Ruud Krol

Ruud awakening: Krol is on his way to Platinum Stars
RUUD KROL, the coach so rudely dumped by Orlando Pirates after winning the fabled treble last season, will be back in top flight South African management with Platinum Stars before the end of the week.
The Dutchman, linked to a number of roles since Irvin Khosa's bizarre decision to part company with his manager after the Buccaneers most successful season on record, will replace ailing Stars boss Owen Da Gama after last night's dramatic 4-3 defeat against Krol's former club.
In perhaps the best game of the South African season so far, Benni McCarthy made a late third goal for Tokela Rantie before scoring himself with a powerful header to make it 402.
But in injury time, the Stars pulled on back and only an injury-time save from Man of the Match Monieb Josephs denied the Phokeng side a share of the points.
While we recovered breathless from those scenes, word emerged that
Rudolf Josef Krol, now 62, played 83 games for Holland and was part of the Rinus Michels revolution which produced "total football" in the 1970s.
The Dikwena are not a side without backing. King Lerui is ready to put substantial Platinum profits in to the side since moving them to the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace three seasons ago - and managing director Floyd Mbele is under pressure to find a boss who can justify that investment, having parted company with the impressive Steve Komphela, now doing well at Free States Stars, two years ago.
The Stars haven't won a game since October 15, when they downed struggling Capetonians Santos 4-1. And that's why Krol was in the stands at the Palace last night frantically scribbling notes as he prepares to guide the club out of trouble.
South African football fans woke up this morning to find their celebrations over last night's epic win ruined by the death of former Bafana Bafana star Thabang Lebese at Helen Joseph hospital. He was admitted in a "serious state" last week and the former Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs star died this morning from an undisclosed illness.

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