The Richards Bay’s new benefactor desires to see the club among South Africa’s elite
Phakwe Gas chairman and CEO and chairman Thabiso Tenyane wants to see Richards Bay competing with the top PSL teams after signing a R100 million sponsorship with the Natal Richa Boyz.
Richards Bay inked a three-year deal worth R20 million, annually plus an extra R40 million, that was unveiled last week and Tenyane feels the investment is the first step towards taking on the big boys of South African football.
“My brand is now associated with Richards Bay FC, we are talking about a brand that is bringing the billion-dollar project so my concentration would not be football but the business I run as an executive chair,” Tenyane told Marawa Sports Worldwide, as quoted by KickOff.
Thabiso Tenyane wants to beat the big three
“I want to compete with Chiefs, Pirates, Sundowns, Stellenbosch, I want to beat them. I want [Richards Bay] FC to beat them, then therefore what do you do?” he posed.
Tenyane then reiterated his desire to see the club managed by a top coach amid reports that Vusumuzi Vilakazi could lose his job.
“You need a top coach, at the level when we challenge Chiefs or Pirates, they can be respecting each other,” he went on.
‘The structure of coaching must be looked at’
“I am not saying they don’t respect Vusi, I am saying if you are coming from relegation, you need to capacitate yourself fully. The structure of coaching must be looked at and must be beefed up.”
Richards Bay survived relegation by a whisker last season having come through the playoff to retain their top-flight status.
They seemed determined to avoid a repeat in 2024-25 and have made a statement of intent by signing Siyethemba Sithebe, Keagan Allan, Fezile Gcaba, Sbani Mntungwa, Thabiso Kutumela and Tlakusani Mthethwa.
