Kananelo takes over at struggling Gallants

Football
From preparing to face Pirates with African Stars to now facing them from the opposite dugout, Kananelo’s week has taken an unexpected turn.
Brian Munango
  • 11 Hours Ago

Namibian coach Filemon Ronny Kananelo has been appointed head coach of Marumo Gallants for the remainder of the 2026/27 Betway Premiership season, taking charge of a club desperate to turn around a poor start to the campaign.

Kananelo takes over after Gallants parted ways with head coach Phuti Mohafe last week following a disappointing opening to the season.

Trevor Mathiane was placed in temporary charge for the weekend fixture against AmaZulu, but Gallants suffered a 1-0 defeat away from home, leaving them at the bottom of the Betway Premiership standings.

The club have collected just two points from their opening six matches, recording two draws and four defeats. They remain without a victory and will now look to Kananelo to change their fortunes.

Kananelo arrives at Gallants after guiding African Stars into the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League. Stars secured an impressive 2-0 victory over Gabonese outfit AS Mangasport in the first preliminary round on Saturday.


A familiar face

His departure has reportedly prompted African Stars to consider a familiar face, with former coach Bobby Samaria emerging as the frontrunner to replace him.

Samaria has a long association with Stars and is regarded as one of the club’s most successful coaches. He first took charge in 2008, guiding the club to consecutive Namibia Premier League titles in the 2008/09 and 2009/10 seasons, as well as the 2010 Namibia FA Cup. African Stars have, however, not officially confirmed his appointment.

Kananelo brings extensive playing and coaching experience across Namibia and South Africa.

As a goalkeeper, he was part of the Mamelodi Sundowns squad from 1997 to 2004, serving as back-up to first-choice goalkeeper John Tlale.

He was part of the Sundowns side that won three consecutive league titles from 1998 to 2000 and also lifted the Bob Save Super Bowl in 1998.

At international level, Kananelo represented Namibia 53 times and featured at the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations.

His coaching career has included spells with UNAM FC, Black Africa FC, Bucks Buccaneers FC and African Stars in Namibia, as well as Maritzburg United and Bloemfontein Celtic in South Africa.

He has also served as part of the Namibia national team technical staff at major tournaments, including the 2008, 2019 and 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.


First game in charge

According to Gallants, Kananelo holds a CAF A Licence and has a coaching philosophy centred on discipline, tactical intelligence and player development.

The club said it was looking forward to his contribution as it seeks to compete and build for the future.

His first assignment will be a demanding one, with Gallants hosting defending champions Orlando Pirates at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on Sunday at 15h00.

The match will mark Kananelo’s first game in charge and comes just days after he was preparing African Stars for a continental meeting with the same opponent.

For Gallants, the immediate objective is clear: end their winless run, collect points and begin climbing away from the bottom of the Premiership table.

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