Remembering When Angry Orlando Pirates Fans Wanted to Beat Up Gordon Igesund

• Coaching in South African football is certainly not for the faint of heart historically
• It only gets harder when you coach one of the top teams in the country, like Orlando Pirates
• Gordon Igesund learnt this the hard way, even as he was guiding the Buccaneers to the league title

Gordon Igesund is one of the most storied coaches in South African football history.

Amazingly, he led Manning Rangers, Orlando Pirates, Santos and Mamelodi Sundowns to league titles, the only coach to achieve this rare feat. However, he will probably remember the win with the Buccaneers in 2001 less fondly.

As recently reported by the Daily Sun, the campaign saw certain sections of the Bucs faithful being unhappy with the job that he was doing, particularly as the team was closing in on the Castle Lager Premiership. In April, a kombi-load of fans arrived at a training session north of Johannesburg to confront him for some reason or the other.

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They allegedly threatened to beat him up during the altercation, intent on scaring him away from the club.

Speaking of the incident, Igesund recalled:

"There was no way I was going to let a bunch of thugs intimidate me. I know there were people who wanted me out before the end of the season. But I was so close and knew we would win the league. It's what a coach thrives and works for day in and out, and I wasn't going to give in."

For good measure, he departed from Pirates not long thereafter, before guiding the People's Team (Santos) to their inaugural league title the very next season.

Coach arrested after assaulting player

A criminal investigation is underway following the shocking alleged actions of a football team's coach.

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The unnamed individual allegedly assaulted one of his players during an altercation. Even worse, he used a gun during the incident.

A criminal investigation is underway following the shocking alleged actions of a football team's coach. The unnamed individual allegedly assaulted one of his players during an altercation. Even worse, he used a gun during the incident.

'Folz is better than Benni McCarthy'

Outspoken AmaZulu Football Club president Sandile Zungu once again went against the grain.

Zungu implied that current coach Romain Folz - who led the club to its first cup final in 30 years - was a better coach than former boss Benni McCarthy.

The current Manchester United first-team coach guided Usuthu to a second-place finish in the league two seasons ago, the KwaZulu-Natal club's highest finish since the advent of the Premier Soccer League in 1996.