By Rodney Reiners
Ajax Cape Town are to confirm the appointment of a new head coach within the next 10 days.
He will be from within the coaching set-up at Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam.
This was announced by joint Ajax CT chief executive John Comitis after Henk Bodewes and the club had decided to "part ways".
Bodewes, who took over as head coach of Ajax CT from fellow-Dutchman Leo van Veen at the start of the season, has struggled to cope with the pressure.
After a good start during which he led Ajax to the final of the BP Top Eight, he was diagnosed with cancer. He went back to Holland for treatment and returned two months ago.
However, results never went his way, and the pressure mounted, and Ajax did wonderfully well in his absence - winning the Rothmans Cup - under Steve Haupt and John Latham.
As such, Bodewes and Ajax CT sat down and reached an amicable decision. A decision Comitis says was made in the best interests of the club.
"We are sad to see Henk go," Comitis said. "He instilled a level of professionalism at the club and he was solely responsible for instituting the current world class structures we have at junior level.
"But, under the circumstances, we could not have a person still slowly recovering from a very serious illness in such a highly pressurised job. He goes with our best wishes."
Comitis said he was unable to divulge the new coach's name until the everything was signed and sealed.
In the interim, assistant coach John Latham will act as caretaker-coach.