Johannesburg -
Ajax Cape Town head coach Maarten Stekelenburg was relieved of his duties at the club, according to a report on Tuesday.
KickOff.com reported the Ajax board had lost patience with the Dutchman after the Cape Town side suffered a shock 5-1 loss to league new-comers University of Pretoria on Saturday.
Ajax's chief executive George Comitis explained the club's decision.
“As of today, coach Maarten Stekelenburg will no longer be the head coach of Ajax Cape Town,” Comitis said.
“We had to make a change before it was too late. Sometimes you have to shake everything up.”
Comitis said irrespective of whether Stekelenburg was given an ultimatum, the club felt they needed a more experienced coach because he would be dealing with experienced players.
Stekelenburg had lost the belief of the board and its directors, though he still had the player's support.
According to the report, no decisions had been made regarding a new coach yet, although Foppe de Haan's name was in contention.
Head of technical affairs Jan Pruijn would be in charge for Ajax's Premier Soccer League match against AmaZulu on Saturday, assisted by Wilfred Mugeyi. - Sapa