Orlando Pirates Reserve Team Coach Simon Marange Promoted to Young Warriors Post
- Simon Marange will move on from the Orlando Pirates reserve team to coach the Zimbabwe U20 side after proving himself by mentoring young talent at the Soweto club
- Marange will be looking to guide the Young Warriors during the upcoming U20 Afcon qualifiers that will take place in September
- At the same time, PSL club Stellenbosch FC has confirmed the departure of midfielder Darrel Matsheke, who is a target for Orlando Pirates
Source: Facebook
The Zimbabwe U20 side has announced Orlando Pirates reserve team coach Simon Marange as their new head coach.
Marange was previously the coach of the Orlando Pirates U21 side, which he mentored from 2020 until 2023 before being promoted to reserve team coach.
Zimbabwe excited about Simon Marange's appointment
The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) announced the appointment via their X (Twitter) account on Tuesday, 12 March 2024.
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The association stated:
“ZIFA is pleased to announce that Simon Marange has been appointed as the new Head Coach of the U20 men’s Zimbabwe national team. Simon Marange currently serves as the Orlando Pirates reserve team coach. He was promoted from the U21s of Pirates, whom he coached from 2020-2023."
Read Simon Marange's appointment announcement in the tweet below:
Afcon U20 qualifiers will be a major test for Marange
After taking the reigns of the Young Warriors, Marange will begin preparations for the September round of U20 Afcon qualifiers.
The association added:
“He brings to Zimbabwe football his strength and experience. He’s been working with elite youth players in their professional development phase, bridging the last step into professional football."
South Africa will also take part in the qualifiers and they have begun preparations with a training camp that will be overseen by a technical staff complement including former Bafana midfielder Reneilwe Letsholonyane.
Orlando Pirates eye new talent
While Pirates will be without the services of Marange, the Soweto Giants will be alerted to the availability of Darrel Matsheke, who was recently released by PSL rivals Stellenbosch FC.
After falling out with Stellies coach Gavin Hunt, Matsheke has been released by the club and Pirates will be keen to add the midfielder to the squad along with the permanent signing of on-loan midfielder Thalente Mbatha.
According to their website, Stellies confirmed Matsheke's departure:
"Matsheke arrived in the Cape Winelands at the start of the current season and made 12 appearances across all competitions, notably scoring the winning penalty kick during the club’s 2023 Carling Knockout victory. We would like to thank him for his contributions over the last five months and wish him well in his future endeavours."
Kaizer Chiefs facing fine over fans' unruly behaviour
While Orlando Pirates make changes to their staff, Briefly News reported long-time rivals Kaizer Chiefs are awaiting the fate of the PSL after their fans' behaviour during the recent Soweto Derby.
Following their 3-2 defeat to Pirates, Chiefs fans threw stones and bottles on the field, leading to the club facing a hefty fine by the league.
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Source: Briefly News
