Kick Off January 2021

In December 2012 I was assigned to do an interview with the newly-appointed Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane, who was in Cape Town with his team for a midweek match against Ajax Cape Town. And after a lacklustre, boring draw, we left the Athlone Stadium just after 22h00 for Newlands, where the Sundowns team were camping and the interview was going to take place. After waiting for almost two hours at the reception, finally after midnight, Mosimane majestically strolled down the stairs of the Holiday Inn with a pen and a notepad in his hand, like The Count of Monte Cristo plotting his next revenge “Look at how many times Anthony Laffor had the ball and gave it away. Look at Alje Schut. Look at this player and that one……

Local coaches on the rise It is with a great sense of pride and joy that I write in celebration of local coaches. In retrospect, there has been a considerable level of reluctance from PSL bosses in hiring local coaches, with even Kaizer Chiefs boss Kaizer Motaung asserting at some point that no local coach can lead his team. However, Pitso Mosimane’s appointment as coach of Al Ahly has, to some degree, led to renewed optimism and confidence in local coaches. Such proof lies in the overwhelming number of local coaches and their respective assistants leading PSL teams this season, in addition to those in the GladAfrica Championship. Not forgetting those who represent us beyond the borders, the likes of Quinton Fortune at Manchester United, Bradley Carnell in USA, Thabo…

GOOD MONTH FOR … PITSO MOSIMANE The Al Ahly coach has cemented his reputation as one of Africa’s leading coaches after helping the Cairo giants to the CAF Champions League title – and his second after a triumph with Mamelodi Sundowns in 2016. He followed that up shortly afterwards with victory in the Egyptian Cup final as Ahly completed a ‘Treble’ this season. BAD MONTH FOR … THE FOOTBALL FAMILY Former Bafana Bafana international Anele Ngcongca was tragically killed in a car accident on Nov. 23 just as he was to start a new chapter of his career at AmaZulu. Two days later the world was plunged into mourning following the death of global icon Diego Maradona. ALSO LAST MONTH… • Mamelodi Sundowns release stalwart defender Wayne Arendse and striker…

Kaizer Chiefs have been left clutching at straws following the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to dismiss their appeal against a two-window transfer ban imposed by the world’s football mother body, FIFA, for the illegally signings Malagasy midfielder Andriamirado ‘Dax’ Andrianarimanana in 2018. Dax’s former club Fosa Juniors lodged a complaint about how he was clandestinely snapped from them and won the case leading to a transfer ban, which came with a four month suspension for the player, who is now with Black Leopards. Chiefs were not allowed to sign new players during the last transfer window at the beginning of the season and will again not be able to make any new acquisitions in January. This means Gavin Hunt will have to ‘make do’ with what…

The last time that Kaizer Chiefs were able to make signings they brought in six players – Lazarous Kambole, Teddy Akumu, James Kotei, Kearyn Baccus, Samir Nurkovic and Yagan Sasman. Kambole hasn’t done anything to justify why he was signed from ZESCO United with just a single goal in his first 19 appearances for the club. The Zambian will have to pull up his socks this season. Akumu was also brought in at the beginning of 2020 from ZESCO and is yet to genuinely impose himself at the club in the holding midfield position. Just why Kotei was signed remains a mystery as he didn’t play a single game in the six months that he spent at Naturena. With regards to Baccus, he hasn’t done anything special and has sunk…

KICK OFF: Coach thanks for talking to us. What are the fundamentals of modern-day coaching? Manqoba Mngqithi: Your competence levels are important in understanding the trends as prescribed by maybe some of the top teams in Europe who are trendsetters. You must be curious and always have this inquisitive mind that makes you think about what makes Liverpool or Bayern Munich what it is now. Then know what philosophy you prescribe to, which then informs your training methodology and recruitment policy. Good coaches are also expected to be good leaders in the sense of humanness, intelligence, and courage because in a team sport you are dealing with different characters. You must try to be the bigger boy as a coach because the physiotherapist, doctor, masseur, biokinesticist, kit man, analysts, groundsmen,…