Kanalelo quits African Stars

Ronnie Kanalelo has resigned as head coach of African Stars under harsh circumstances.

Stars announced Kanalelo’s exit on their social media pages on Wednesday, two weeks shy of his first anniversary at the club. Kanalelo led Stars to Debmarine Namibia Premiership and PstBet NFA Cup successes last season.

“We would like to inform the Okaserandu folklore and football fraternity that action is being taken in this regard and further communcation will follow in due course,” African Stars stated.

It is unclear what led to Kanalelo’s sudden resignation, as he guided Stars to the MTC Maris Cup semifinals on Sunday.

However, Kanalelo’s response to queries on his resignation added weight to speculation of a fallout with management.

“There’s really nothing to talk about. I believe I’m a professional and let the reasons stay internally,” Kanalelo says.

The Namibian Sport also understands that Kanalelo is being courted by clubs in Botswana and South Africa.

He recently obtained his Confederation of African Football (CAF) A coaching licence, a must-have qualification for coaches to be eligible to be in the technical area in official continental and international matches.

With that in mind, Stars, who extended Kanalelo’s deal to run till 2026 in June last year, are said to have taken a proactive stance on his impending departure.

He replaced Marvin Mbakera in February last year, with the latter mooted to be among the names Stars are considering to assume the hot seat.
The experienced Bobby Samaria, who previously won multiple titles with Stars, is another candidate to replace Kanalelo.

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