Royal AM Boss Shauwn 'MaMkhize' Surprised by John Maduka's Resignation and Departure for Maritzburg United

• Royal AM owner Shauwn 'MaMkhize' Mkhize admitted that she was caught off guard by John Maduka's resignation as the team's head coach
• Maduka had led Thwihli Thwahla to an excellent third-place finish in the DStv Premiership last season and was expected to build upon this success when the surprising news broke
• The Malawian mentor was named as the new head coach of Royal's KwaZulu-Natal rivals Maritzburg United

Following the departure of coach John Maduka to Maritzburg United, Royal AM owner Shauwn 'MaMkhize' Mkhizes said she was surprised as she didn’t expect it.

The 50-year-old Malawian mentor had guided Thwihli Thwahla to a surprise third-place finish in the DStv Premiership, which saw the team qualify for next season's CAF Confederations Cup competition.

MaMkhize told SowetanLIVE:

“I must be honest, Maduka leaving the club was a surprise to me. I had to cut my trip [to the US] short to come back to SA to see if I could find a coach. But look at how we played this past season. This team is playing possession football, so I have to find a coach who will not change the football that we are playing but carry on with the culture.

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“Sadly, he left, but I wish him all the best. He was a good coach. For me, if somebody wants to be somewhere, we cannot hold him to ransom, but we have a good relationship.”

This contradicted Maduka's claims in the Daily Sun that he left the club because of uncertainty about his place there, suggesting he was going to be fired, either way.

Shauwn 'MaMkhize' Mkhize targets strong Royal AM run in inaugural CAF Confederations Cup debut

Success breeds more success, with Shauwn 'MaMkhize' hoping her charges Royal AM does just that next season.

As reported by Sports Brief, MaMkhize is targeting a strong showing when Thwihli Thwahla participates in their debut CAF Confederations Cup campaign in the 2022/23 campaign. The club got there after surprisingly finished in third place on the DStv Premiership table, in a season where they got to the semifinals of the Nedbank Cup semifinals.

In order to maintain a challenge at home and aboard, the club will need to strengthen considerably, with former Kaizer Chiefs striker Samir Nurkovic already being linked with a move to Durban.