POLOKWANE, South Africa Cédric Kaze has left Sekhukhune United by mutual agreement with immediate effect, ending the Burundian coach's brief spell after seven competitive matches. The club announced the change on Tuesday evening, 1 September 2026, and promoted assistant coach Papi Zothwane to lead the technical team.
Has Cédric Kaze left Sekhukhune United? Yes. Sekhukhune United said Kaze departed by mutual agreement with immediate effect on 1 September 2026. Papi Zothwane has taken over as head coach, with Paulus Masehe assisting him. The club did not publish a detailed explanation for the separation.
Sekhukhune confirm an immediate coaching change
In its official statement on X, Sekhukhune said Kaze had departed by mutual agreement and thanked him for his dedication, professionalism and contribution. The club did not disclose severance terms or identify a specific disagreement behind the decision.
That wording matters. Several headlines have described Kaze as fired or axed, but the club's stated position is that the separation was mutual. Reports about tension behind the scenes remain secondary claims and should not be treated as the club's confirmed reason for the change.
Sekhukhune also announced that Zothwane would lead the team as head coach, assisted by Paulus Masehe. Nascent Nkhwashu remains the goalkeeper coach. FARPost's morning report reproduced the club's transition announcement and identified Zothwane as Kaze's successor.
The speed of the change leaves little time for adjustment. SuperSport reported that Zothwane's first match in charge is the home Betway Premiership fixture against TS Galaxy on Saturday, 5 September.
Why Kaze's Sekhukhune spell ended so quickly
Kaze was appointed in July after leaving Kaizer Chiefs, but his tenure lasted less than two months. Eyewitness News counted seven competitive matches before the separation.
The results contained a sharp reversal. Sekhukhune won Kaze's first two matches, then lost four of the next five. Three successive defeats came against Orlando Pirates: one in the league and two in the MTN8 semi-finals. The cup tie ended with 1-0 and 3-0 losses, sending Pirates through 4-0 on aggregate.
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Cédric Kaze Leaves Sekhukhune After Seven Games
Sep 2, 2026
Sep 2, 2026
4 min read
Published
Updated:
POLOKWANE, South Africa Cédric Kaze has left Sekhukhune United by mutual agreement with immediate effect, ending the Burundian coach's brief spell after seven competitive matches. The club announced the change on Tuesday evening, 1 September 2026, and promoted assistant coach Papi Zothwane to lead the technical team.
Has Cédric Kaze left Sekhukhune United? Yes. Sekhukhune United said Kaze departed by mutual agreement with immediate effect on 1 September 2026. Papi Zothwane has taken over as head coach, with Paulus Masehe assisting him. The club did not publish a detailed explanation for the separation.
Sekhukhune confirm an immediate coaching change
In its official statement on X, Sekhukhune said Kaze had departed by mutual agreement and thanked him for his dedication, professionalism and contribution. The club did not disclose severance terms or identify a specific disagreement behind the decision.
That wording matters. Several headlines have described Kaze as fired or axed, but the club's stated position is that the separation was mutual. Reports about tension behind the scenes remain secondary claims and should not be treated as the club's confirmed reason for the change.
Sekhukhune also announced that Zothwane would lead the team as head coach, assisted by Paulus Masehe. Nascent Nkhwashu remains the goalkeeper coach. FARPost's morning report reproduced the club's transition announcement and identified Zothwane as Kaze's successor.
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The speed of the change leaves little time for adjustment. SuperSport reported that Zothwane's first match in charge is the home Betway Premiership fixture against TS Galaxy on Saturday, 5 September.
Why Kaze's Sekhukhune spell ended so quickly
Kaze was appointed in July after leaving Kaizer Chiefs, but his tenure lasted less than two months. Eyewitness News counted seven competitive matches before the separation.
The results contained a sharp reversal. Sekhukhune won Kaze's first two matches, then lost four of the next five. Three successive defeats came against Orlando Pirates: one in the league and two in the MTN8 semi-finals. The cup tie ended with 1-0 and 3-0 losses, sending Pirates through 4-0 on aggregate.
Those results explain the immediate sporting pressure, but they do not by themselves prove why the parties separated. The Citizen's report on the announcement said the club confirmed the mutual agreement after only four league matches. No direct statement from Kaze explaining his departure had been located by the update time.
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A coaching career built across Africa and Canada
Kaze arrived in South African football with a wider continental and development résumé. When Kaizer Chiefs appointed him as an assistant in October 2024, the club's official profile of the Burundian coach said he held a bachelor's degree in sport science, a CAF A licence and a German Football Federation A licence.
That profile traced his Burundi national-team work from the under-17 set-up in 2007 through assistant and age-group roles. He later moved to Canada and worked at an FC Barcelona academy for two and a half years. His club experience also included roles in Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania.
Kaze previously worked with Nasreddine Nabi at Young Africans, where Kaizer Chiefs said the pair won six trophies in two seasons. He joined Chiefs as Nabi's assistant and later helped lead the senior side with Khalil Ben Youssef after Nabi's departure.
In May 2026, Kaizer Chiefs confirmed Kaze and Ben Youssef's departure after their contracts ended. Chiefs said the pair had led 39 matches in the 2025/26 season, recording 19 wins, 11 draws and nine defeats while reaching 54 league points and missing the CAF Confederation Cup knockout phase on goal difference.
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What changes for Sekhukhune United
The immediate task passes to Zothwane, who was already inside the technical structure. That choice reduces disruption because he knows the squad and has worked alongside Masehe and Nkhwashu.
It also creates a clear test. Sekhukhune must stabilise after four defeats in five matches and recover from the MTN8 exit while continuing its league campaign. The TS Galaxy fixture will provide the first public evidence of whether Zothwane changes the team's shape, selection or approach.
For Kaze, the departure ends a second South African club role within months of leaving Chiefs. His experience across Burundi, Tanzania, Canada and South Africa remains substantial, but his next appointment has not been announced. Any claim linking him to a new club should wait for confirmation from the coach or the relevant organisation.
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