Duncan Lechesa is new head coach of VFC

Venda Football Club (VFC) has appointed the former head coach of Polokwane City FC, Mr Duncan Lechesa, effective from Monday this week. According to the club’s chairman, Mr Itani Munzhelele, Mr Lechesa’s appointment to the team’s hot seat demonstrates the club’s commitment to gaining promotion to the DStv Premiership Division at the end of the current soccer season.

When asked about the future of Mr Johnny Ferreira at the club, Munzhelele stated that Ferreira was still part of the club. He reminded people that Ferreira was appointed as the technical advisor during Mr Joel Masutha’s tenure as the head coach of the team. They had asked Ferreira to take over as the caretaker coach after the club’s relationship with Masutha had come to an abrupt end about two months ago.

Munzhelele revealed that Ferreira will now focus on his duties as a technical advisor, following Lechesa’s appointment. When asked if Lechesa was coming with his own assistant, Munzhelele said that the former Free State Stars’ playmaker was ready to work with the current technical team.

Vhanzheli, as he is affectionately called, said that Lechesa’s employment contract with the club would expire at the end of the current season, with the option of an extension. During an interview with him, the 47-year-old mentor said that he had been following VFC’s progress over the past months and believed VFC had everything necessary to win the league title.

The former Black Leopards’ player was introduced to the players during the team’s training session on Monday morning. Some of the teams Lechesa had coached over the past years include Royal Eagles, FC Cape Town, and Carara Kicks. Lechesa’s first assignment will be to try and beat his former team, Black Leopards, in their league clash at Thohoyandou Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

VFC had won three games and lost the same number of matches under Mr Ferreira’s guidance. The team is now perched in the 13^th position on the log standings.

Date:10 November 2023

By: Frank Mavhungu

Frank is a Human Resources Manager at the Department of Public Works in Limpopo. He is the longest serving correspondent of the Mirror, having joined us at the end of 1990.  He mainly writes sports reports and resides at Tsianda Village. In 2004, Frank won the National Castle League Award, an award for the best reporter in the SAB league in South Africa.

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