Mabhuti Khenyeza is set to lead Golden Arrows when they host Stellenbosch at Mpumalanga Stadium on Saturday (15:00), according to the iDiski Times sources.
Khenyeza is assuming the role of the club as Vusi Vilakazi, whom he was co-coach with, abruptly resigned on 4 September, with the sources saying he was looking for a better package from the club’s management.
But as they were not willing to offer him that improved package, it led to Vilakazi resigning having taken Arrows along with Khenyeza to the second spot in the DStv Premiership table with 10 points after five matches, including beating SuperSport United 3-0 before the international break.
Vilakazi, who won two DStv Diski Challenges with Arrows, has since been appointed as Chippa United Head of Technical Director.
It would be interesting to see Khenyeza fronting the media as since he shared the post permanently with Vilakazi has never spoken to the media in the post-match interviews and it has been Kanu, as Vilakazi is known.
However, Khenyeza, as a player, has some pedigree about him. He was, until Knox Mutizwa knocked him off that perch, Arrows all-time goal scorer in the PSL, having spent two stints with the club.
He helped Arrows gain the top-flight promotion in the 2014/15 season when coach Shaun Bartlett was in charge of the club, scoring seven goals in that campaign after he joined them in the second half of that term having been released by Mpumalanga Black Aces.
He also played for Kaizer Chiefs, who he joined ahead of the 2007/08 season. He will forever be remembered for scoring the quickest Soweto Derby goal (19 seconds which is still a record in this famous match) against Orlando Pirates in November 2007 at Kings Park Stadium.
Ironically, it was a perfect throw-in by Bartlett, who he led the front line with then under Muhsin Ertugral.
Khenyeza, who also played for Mamelodi Sundowns and SuperSport United, was also not done to have caused heartache to Pirates.
He scored twice when Ajax Cape Town (now Cape Town Spurs), beat the Soweto giants 2-1 in the Telkom Knockout final at Chatsworth Stadium in the 2008/09 season.
The other trophy Khenyeza won was the Nedbank Cup with SuperSport in the 2011/12 season when they beat Sundowns 2-0 at Orlando Stadium.
