Richards Bay head coach Vusumuzi Vilakazi has strongly denied claims that he won’t be in the club’s dugout when the 2024/25 campaign gets underway.
Vilakazi aided the club in preserving their DStv Premiership status when they went unbeaten in the PSL/promotional playoffs against Baroka FC and the University of Pretoria, thus keeping them afloat in top-flight football for a third successive season.
The Natal Rich Boyz finished the last campaign in the 15th spot, finding themselves in a three-way scrap in the playoffs against the two Motsepe Foundation Championship sides.
Speaking to the media, ‘Kanu’ dismissed media news that he was headed for the exit door, with a new coach coming in.
“I’m a head coach at Richards Bay my man, “Vilakazi said.
“I’m contracted with Richards Bay, so I don’t understand the question.”
When quizzed about the new sponsors possibly looking at a new coach for the next campaign, Vilakazi said.
“Jah, but those were sponsors. I’m not talking to the sponsors. I don’t know the sponsors. I talk to the chairman [Jomo Biyela] of the club who have hired me.
“And I’ve signed a contract with the chairman of the club, not the sponsors,” he further added.
On Wednesday afternoon, the KwaZulu-Natal-based outfit announced Phakwe Group as their new partner, which is said to have a injection value of R60-million over the next three seasons.

