Kanalelo tasked with halting BA meltdown

Black Africa hope that Ronnie Kanalelo’s appointment for a third stint as head coach of the club will prove successful.

The former Brave Warriors goal minder was on Tuesday appointed on a short term deal that is subject to review at the end of the current season.

Kanalelo replaced Brian Isaacs who was sacked in December following a series of “below par performances” that left BA six points adrift of MTC Premiership leaders African Stars by mid-season recess.

BA retained Otto Landsberg as the deputy head coach, while Arnold Subeb has been roped in as the goalkeeper coach.

“Winning a fifth consecutive [Namibia Premier League] title remains our focus,” club owner Ranga Haikali told The Namibian Sport.

Kanalelo’s previous two spells at BA ended fruitlessly, amid widespread fan condemnation after the club had desperately fallen behind their rivals in the race for silverware.

In the 2006/7 season, Kanalelo quit BA after a string of poor results which led to the hostility that existed between him and the club’s fans.

Kanalelo’s second stint as BA coach also met an acrimonious end in 2009, when the then caretaker coach discharged a firearm at the Khomasdal Stadium in Windhoek after being confronted by irate supporters following a defeat.

Given his extensively documented poor relations with the sides’ supporters, his appointment is not one that has been widely endorsed.

However, that animosity is the least of Haikali’s concern. Instead he has faith in Kanalelo’s ability to continue BA’s league dominance, which is under serious threat from African Stars, the bridesmaids for the past four seasons.

BA were rumoured to be after the services of Stars’ coach Woody Jacobs and Tigers’ Bobby Samaria, but those options proved to be futile.

A third coach, the outspoken and free agent Ali Akan, was also seen as a possible successor to Isaacs, however he claims to not have been approached.

While he may not be renowned for winning silverware, Kanalelo has expanded his CV since his unfortunate time at BA, with subsequent stints at Tigers, and in South Africa with Maritzburg United and Bloemfontein Celtic.

“Sometimes it’s not about popular decisions,” said Haikali.

“The very same fans were complaining about the team’s performance. While we can seek a replacement from the coaches of other teams in the NPL, we also value the relationship amongst the teams. We are still confident to win the league though,” Hakali added.