Highly rated PSL coach Kwanele Kopo has lifted the lid on his decision to part ways with Chippa United.

While Chippa have a reputation for going through coaches at an extraordinary rate, it nevertheless came as a surprise when Kopo opted to move on at the end of the year.

Explaining his position, Kopo told the Sowetan: “My contract was coming to an end. I was offered an extension but I decided not to extend.

“A lot of the reasons are personal but I felt that during the time I was at the club, I had done all that I could under the circumstances. I just felt I needed maybe a different environment and a different challenge,” he said.

While initially it was suggested that Kopo was looking to move back to Gauteng to be closer to family, he stressed that he was open to opportunities wherever they may be. “I don’t know yet where I am going but I am available whether it’s Premiership or second division.

“I am available to work as a head coach, as an assistant coach and as a technical director. At the moment, there’s nothing concrete.

“The first round of the season is not finished yet, so maybe teams want to see how they fare after the first round before deciding on their coaches,” he said.

Reflecting on his stay at Chippa, Kopo added: “When we arrived at Chippa, they were known to be relegation candidates.

“We arrived halfway through the season and the objective was to make sure that the team came out of that relegation battle, and we came out of that battle with five or six games to go, which was something new for the club, and that was my proudest moment at the club,” he said.