Pitso Dladla's stay at Lamontville Golden Arrows did not last long, after he was replaced by Mandla Ncikazi.

Image: BackpagePix

In South African top-flight football, patience remains a relic of the past, and league position offers little protection. Barely three months into the Betway Premiership campaign, seven head coaches have already vacated their seats.

The abrupt axing of Pitso Dladla at Lamontville Golden Arrows serves as the starkest proof yet: despite steering the club into an MTN8 semi-final and occupying eighth place, a solitary league victory from eight matches left him vulnerable the moment Mandla Ncikazi became available, after leaving his assistant coach position at Orlando Pirates.

In a league terrified of sliding backwards, pulling the trigger is easy – actually steadying the ship is another matter.

Here is how the seven casualties stack up so far.

1. Pitso Dladla (Lamontville Golden Arrows)

Replaced by: Mandla Ncikazi

Dladla’s departure may be the harshest of the lot. After steering Arrows into an MTN8 semi-final and maintaining solid mid-table footing, he made way for Ncikazi’s high-profile return from Pirates.

Ncikazi inherits an organised, functional squad rather than a broken one, meaning anything less than a guaranteed top-eight finish and fluent attacking football will look like an unnecessary disruption of Dladla’s groundwork.

Durban City coach Eric Tinkler has led the team to the CAF Confederation Cup group stages for the first time but insists there is plenty of work for him to do.

Image: Backpagepix

2. Khalil Ben Youssef (Durban City FC)

Replaced by: Eric Tinkler

Ben Youssef navigated City through the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round, but domestic inconsistency triggered early boardroom panic. In stepped Eric Tinkler, who delivered immediate returns.

Tinkler guided City through the second preliminary round with an emphatic 6-1 aggregate win over AS Port Louis to seal a historic spot in the Confederation Cup group stages. The next step will be to string a strong run together in the league, where they are currently in 10th place with seven points, while a tough home assignment against Stellies FC in the Carling Knockout Cup awaits tonight.

3. Lehlohonolo Seema (Siwelele FC)

Replaced by: Godfrey Mosoetsa (Caretaker)

After saving the club from the drop last season, Seema paid the price for a disastrous start following an off-season fire sale of key players. Sacked alongside assistant Willem Jackson – and later redeployed to the DStv Diski Challenge side – Seema handed the reins to Mosoetsa.

Mosoetsa snapped a brutal losing skid with a hard-fought win over Polokwane City, though Siwelele remain in a precarious survival dogfight in 14th place.

FULL TIME! 90' + 4' Babina Noko get the job done securing our spot in the next round of the Carling Knockout! The mission continues, and the warriors march on! SEKHUKHUNE FC3️⃣vs1️⃣RICHARDS BAY FC 🦔🦔🦔 # Adibahlabe # #CarlingKnockout https://t.co/oPnaMBgoXI

— Sekhukhune United F.C. (@SekhukhuneFc) October 25, 2026

4. Cedric Kazé (Sekhukhune United)

Replaced by: Papi Zothwane

Kazé’s expansive tactical philosophy failed to yield early results, prompting Babina Noko to pull the plug swiftly, in fact, the former Kaizer Chiefs caretaker coach was the first casualty of the season.

Under Papi Zothwane, Sekhukhune have adopted a far more attacking approach. Under his leadership, they have gathered 14 points from their opening eight games , comfortably lifting them to sixth place in the Betway Premiership. The key victories include an important 3-1 win over Richards Bay that saw them progress to the Carling Knockout quarter-final.

🔥 READY TO TURN THINGS AROUND! 💚⚔️ Marumo Gallants FC Head Coach Ronny Kananelo is ready to bring renewed energy, confidence and determination as the team prepares for a massive home clash against Orlando Pirates. #GallantsAllTheWay #RiseWithGallants #MarumoGallantsFC #PSL https://t.co/4kJ1fIiDMJ

— MARUMO GALLANTS FC (@_Marumogallants) September 17, 2026

5. Phuti Mohafe (Marumo Gallants)

Replaced by: Ronnie Kanalelo

The fallout & successor impact: Mohafe’s stint soured rapidly after an alarming five-match winless drought. Former Namibian international Ronnie Kanalelo stepped into the breach, but the turnaround remains slow.

While Gallants look marginally more compact without the ball, a persistent lack of punch in the final third keeps them rooted to the bottom of the table.

6. Ronnie Gabriel (Richards Bay FC)

Replaced by: Dimitar Pantev

The fallout & successor impact: Gabriel resigned under heavy pressure after an opening six-match run without a single win. Under Bulgarian Pantev, the Natal Rich Boys have struggled for defensive resilience, paired with an acute shortage of goals that leaves them firmly locked in a survival scrap, second from bottom and still searching for that elusive first league win of the season.

Former Richards Bay coach Ronnie Gabriel paid the price for a lacklustre start to the league campaign.

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7. Bernard Parker (TS Galaxy)

Replaced by: Esau Mtsweni

The sallout & successor impact: Parker’s fairy-tale promotion from dressing-room leader to head coach proved a steep learning curve. Defensive leaks and early defeats forced the hierarchy to reassign Parker to the development ranks.

Under Mtsweni, Galaxy's struggles have continued, highlighted by a 3-0 defeat against Pirates. The club has reached an agreement to appoint Bosnian Admir Adzem. However, his arrival has been delayed by visa and work permit issues. They are one spot above Siwelele in 13th place and level on six points with their rivals.