South Africa’s AmaZulu FC have said the need for urgent change was the reason they parted ways with coach Benni McCarthy following a string of unpalatable results on the domestic and continental front.

Clubpresident Sandile Zungu said they felt the DStv Premiership team needed urgent change to arrest the decline in form.

“It is true that with effect from today, Benni McCarthy and AmaZulu parted ways. We parted ways on an amicable basis,” he said.

Zungu said they were grateful that the former Porto and Blackburn Rovers star transformed AmaZulu from relegation material to title contenders last season.

He, however, said based on current form in the Confederation Cup and DStv Premiership “it is quite clear that the team needed change and the change needed to happen now.”

AmaZulu will be handled by an interim coaching panel, which McCarthy has left while the search for his substantive replacement starts in earnest.

McCarthy leaves AmaZulu on position nine with 29 points on the log table and the team is out of the running for the Confederation Cup quarterfinals.