Lavagne will replace the departed Giovanni Solinas at the club. The coach has most notably coached Cameroon and Coton Sport in the past, guiding the latter to two league titles during his tenure.

‘We welcome the appointment of the new coach. We have not officially met him, but his credentials give us cause for optimism,’ Masehe told the club’s website.

‘He has worked on the African continent with considerable success so this job will not be a culture shock for him,’ he added.

Masehe has also insisted that the role of Bradley Carnell remains vital.

‘Bradley Carnell is still here and that is very important in terms of helping the new coach assess the squad he has inherited.

‘We had an up and down campaign last season. We fell short in the Nedbank Cup after a very good run to the semi-finals. We were also well placed for a top-half finish but lost our way towards the end,’

Masehe is hopeful the side can improve on their showing last term.

‘There is a collective determination to do better this coming season and hopefully compete for silverware,’ concluded.