Firebrand Motor Action owner Eric Rosen last week tore into coach Joey “Mafero” Antipas and his charges after their disgraceful Caf Confederations Cup exit at the hands of South African Premiership strugglers Black Leopards.

A 0-2 defeat saw the Mighty Bulls bowing out of the second- tier continental competition from which Rosen expected significant returns after splashing thousands of greenbacks on the acquisition of new players.

Motor Action acquired 11 new bulls in the off season.

The Mbada Diamonds Cup finalists put up an insipid and inexcusable show as Lidoda Duvha turned the pendulum in their favour after a 1-all draw in the first leg in Polokwane had seemingly left the Zimbabwean representatives with the edge.

And as the process of sifting through the wreckage of another poor showing on the continent began in earnest on Tuesday, a livid Rosen left no one in doubt as to how he felt about his team’s capitulation at the hands of a very ordinary Black Leopards outfit.

“Eric was mad, the guy is known to blow once in a while but I don’t think anyone, except his wife Liz, had seen him this angry before,” disclosed a member of the Mighty Bulls executive.

The Mighty Bulls financier is said to have intimated that he would not hesitate to jettison individuals he believes are not adding value to his project and, in a thinly veiled swipe at Antipas, noted that “some individuals are getting too comfortable in their positions and seem to believe that past success can guarantee their jobs”.

After giving his team a dress ing down, Rosen sounded out his executive about the need to change the technical team before the start of the season, pointing at what he termed

“shocking” team selection for the Black Leopards game as a sign that something “is not right with the coaching staff”.

In the 2-0 reverse match to Black Leopards Antipas left two of his most experienced players, Masimba Mambare and Gift Phiri, on the bench while giving the nod to the former Highfield United pair of Isaac Madziva and Protasho Kabwe.

But with the Mighty Bulls divided, Antipas and his assistants David George and Emmanuel Nyahuma got a stay of execution, although indications are that another poor show in next weekend’s Net-One Charity Shield final against Dynamos will bring the curtain down on a stint that saw the gaffer winning the league title in 2010.

In their discussions the Mighty Bulls bosses are said to have identified former Warriors gaffer Norman Mapeza and Moses Chunga as possible replacement candidates.

Rosen last week refused to comment on his showdown with Antipas and his men.

“I don’t want to talk about that issue, as doing so will jeopardise whatever we are discussing at the moment,” he said.

In a separate interview Antipas admitted that the Caf Confederations Cup catastrophe had caused some “tensions” but insisted the Mighty Bulls will use their continental disappointment to spur them on to success on the domestic season.

“Naturally, after a defeat everyone is down and there are some tensions but I wouldn’t say we are under pressure because these things happen in football,” he said. “What we need to do is to handle these tensions and try to improve ahead of our next clash because that’s what football is all about, defeats are part of the game and it’s all about how you react.

“I’m happy that the new players, some of whom we were forced to use against Black Leopards despite their lack of game time and fitness, are coming out of their shells and beginning to express themselves.”