Chiefs axe coach

JOHANNESBURG – South African football giants Kaizer Chiefs fired their head coach Ernst Middendorp following a dismal run of performances which has seen them ruled out of championship contention.

The 11-time South African league winners, who were crowned champions of Africa in 2001, are languishing in seventh place after being defeated at home by lowly Amazulu on Sunday. Middendorp, a much-travelled German who has previously coached in Nigeria, will be replaced on a temporary basis by Kosta Papic who was formerly in charge of the Chief’s archrivals, Orlando Pirates.The axe fell on Middendorp after a run of four consecutive defeats which also saw them eliminated from the Absa Cup competition which they won last year.Chiefs, who won back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005, had been the pre-season title favourites but the Pretoria-based Sundowns have built up a commanding seven-point lead with three-quarters of the season gone.Nampa-AFPMiddendorp, a much-travelled German who has previously coached in Nigeria, will be replaced on a temporary basis by Kosta Papic who was formerly in charge of the Chief’s archrivals, Orlando Pirates.The axe fell on Middendorp after a run of four consecutive defeats which also saw them eliminated from the Absa Cup competition which they won last year.Chiefs, who won back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005, had been the pre-season title favourites but the Pretoria-based Sundowns have built up a commanding seven-point lead with three-quarters of the season gone.Nampa-AFP