SUPERSPORT United coach Kaitano Tembo has been offered a new three-year deal, but the modest Zimbabwean mentor is not in a hurry to sign on the dotted line.
Being the professional that he is, Tembo wants to finish off the season first before he can worry about his future.
The 49-year-old is not the one to put his own interests ahead of the team and he prefers to see where the three-time league champions will finish at the conclusion of the Absa Premiership season.
Even though his two-year contract expires next week, Tembo is worried about where the team will finish on the standings.
“The moment you make it about you, the team will fail to reach its objectives. For me, the players and team come first. We still have a season to complete and my focus is there now, not on the new deal,” said Tembo.
Matsatsantsa a Pitori occupy third place on the log table, with 40 points from 24 matches.
Tembo beefed up his technical team with the appointment of former skipper Thabo September as his second assistant coach to work with former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Andre Arendse.
“My biggest focus is to unearth young players and introduce them to the first team,” he said.
“Giving them opportunities to play in the first team is what matters to me. When I took over this team, we were two points above the relegation zone and ended up finishing in seventh place. We won the MTN8 trophy this season and lost it in final the previous season.
“In the 2018-19 season we secured sixth place and for that reason, I don’t want to be distracted by worrying about signing the new contract. It’s there I will sign it at the end of the season. For now, I want to focus on doing a good job as coaches are judged by results and not by the length of their contract.”
The ex-defender is one of the longest-serving members at the Tshwane giants, having been with them for more than 20 years.
Club’s chief executive Stan Matthews confirmed that the coach’s future is secured and that it’s just a matter of him signing on the dotted line.
“There is no question about whether we are keeping him or not. We’ve invested a lot of time and effort in him,” said Matthews.
Tembo added that he will sign new players after the conclusion of the season.
