‘KOKI’ WALKS AWAY

LOBAMBA – Army side Young Buffaloes’ outspoken coach, Thabo ‘Koki’ Vilakati walked away from the team’s bench yesterday after team officials interfered and altered the team’s line up minutes before the clash.

Buffaloes were playing against red and white glamour giants Mbabane Swallows. Vilakati was so infuriated by the decision that he failed to lead the team and left the technical bench hardly five minutes after kick-off.
The army side eventually lost the closely contested encounter 2-3, as the Mbabane giants stormed into their first cup final of the season.

“The team’s MC chairman, (Kenneth Dlamini) in consultation with other officials felt the line up was not strong enough to match a side like Swallows. “It was not interference per-ser but we were merely making a suggestion to the coach. Such things happen in football because even in England, top coaches do take advice. The truth is that we were concerned with the manner in which he was fielding inexperienced players for such a tough game, which he knew was a grudge one against Swallows.

The chairman felt we could not risk it, hence the line-up was altered,” a source close to the team said.
The source alleged that Vilakati then refused to be in charge of a team he had not selected.

No immediate comment could be obtained from Vilakati at the time of going to press yesterday, as his mobile phone rang unanswered.
Buffaloes’ assistant coach Dominic Kunene, however, claimed that the coach was attacked by ulcers and had to leave the bench.
“The sickness attacked him just after the game had started and he had to go and attend to it,” said Kunene.

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