Linare coach axed

NTHETHE MAPHAONG

MASERU – Linare head coach Freeze Ntene has been axed after his team endured a torrid 2018/19 season.

Although at the time of going to print Public Eye did not have full details of Ntene’s sacking, but media reports confirmed that he had indeed been given the boot.

Attempts to get a comment from him last night were unsuccessful.

Ntene’s bosses had earlier last week asked him to justify why he should not be fired on the evidence of a string of lacklustre performances this season.

The season comes to an end in a fortnight with Linare 11th on the 14-team Econet Premier League (EPL) log table.

Ntene, who re-joined the Hlotse-based side at the beginning of this season after parting ways with them about two seasons ago, told Public Eye last week that he responded to Linare management’s show cause letter and now awaited their response.

“I submitted a letter of response to the management of Linare on Wednesday (last week), so I am still waiting to hear from them. I hope they will call me to discuss the way forward.

“I am still interested in working with Linare, but you never know what will happen.”

Public Eye, however, was reliably informed by club insiders that management was miffed by Ntene’s failure to uphold club rules and regulations.

Although the sources would not disclose specific rules and regulations that Ntene allegedly breached, they insisted these are contained in the gaffer’s contract.

Linare public relations officer Thabo Rakhomo confirmed that Ntene had been served with a show cause letter and that management was yet to discuss his fate.

“The club management wrote to him a letter of suspension which goes together with a show cause letter as to why the club should keep him,” said Rakhomo.

Ntene himself told this paper that Linare management had only asked him to explain the team’s current lowly standing in the table.

“The letter stipulates that I should give reasons why the club should keep me,” he said.

Linare were in the same position before Ntene re-joined them. His predecessor Teele Ntṡonyana was sacked on the eve of this season for a drab showing last season.

“I found the team struggling in position 11 last season, and I was given a mandate of building a good team which will compete in the EPL,” Ntene said.

“I have worked hard on that aspect and upon realising that they further demanded me to guide them into the top 4.”

Ntene said he made it clear to management that in order to achieve that, he would need at least one top and experienced player.

Management had failed to get him one.

Linare have collected 23 points from 24 matches, with two games to play.