Teko’s magic could see him put one over his old teammates ...

AS A COACH, it’s always important to tap into your own experience as a player, especially with regard to man-managing your squad. Benni McCarthy may be in his first season as a head coach, but, as someone who has experienced the difficulty of the waning years, he understands rest is just as important as playing. As a result, he has managed Cape Town City veteran Teko Modise extremely well – and, in the process, got the best out of a player who, in his pomp, twice won the coveted Football of the Year title in the PSL.

Modise is still the beating heart of Cape Town City. He may be 35 years of age – but, based on his unruffled performances, he is the quintessential example of the adage “there is no substitute for class and experience”.

City host Orlando Pirates in a Nedbank Cup last 16 clash at the Cape Town Stadium tomorrow night (kickoff 7.30pm) – and, no doubt, Modise, a former Pirates star, will play an influential role in McCarthy’s plans.

Football in South Africa is often too quick to discard its 30-somethings – make no mistake, they still have a lot to offer, not just on the field, but off it too, in a leadership and mentorship capacity.

Even now, there are veterans in the PSL performing with energy and enthusiasm, all because their clubs have managed them in the right way. Obviously, as the legs get weary, they cannot play week after week, and it needs a coach to be mindful of this. Modise is such a veteran. The intelligent midfield schemer stayed at home when City played Costa do Sol in the first round of the CAF Confederations Cup in Mozambique last week. Before that, he was the man of the match in a 2-0 win over Chippa United.

“I have to commend Teko for the way he controls the game for us,” said McCarthy. “He is always man-marked, but he still manages to find pockets of space. For his age, and he’s still so influential, I’m really happy with the way he is performing.”

And that, in a nutshell, is Modise’s strength. His superior technical ability allows him so much more time on the ball – and, because of that, he is always available for teammates, can spray passes to unlock the opposition’s defence, and dictate the tempo of the game. McCarthy will certainly be cooking up something special to put one over former club Pirates tomorrow.

So, taking that into consideration, there’s certainly no need to explain the emotional aspect linked to tomorrow’s fixture.