Mr Reliable

Tebogo Langerman on the challenges of working under Pitso, breaking into the first team, and his future at Sundowns

Tebogo Langerman’s name rarely comes up in conversation when discussing standout performers in Mamelodi Sundowns’ set-up. ‘Big’ names such as Hlompho Kekana, Khama Billiat, Keagan Dolly and Leonardo Castro regularly come up for praise, but Langerman’s efforts as part of the well-oiled machine under coach oach Pitso Mosimane have not gone unnoticed.ed. He grew up in the suburb of Roodepoort on the West Rand of Johannesburg, and started out at t amateur club Ruimsig imsig before eventually ending up at the Bidvest Wit Wits reserve team in 2007. “From Ruimsig I joined Luso Africa in the Vodacom League, and then I went to Wits’ Bid Boys, at the age of 21,” Langerman says. “I was working with Lloyd Tuffney, a coach from England, and he got a coaching job at Wits so he invited me for trials. When we played a friendly against the senior team I scored three goals, and Roger de Sa asked me to come and train with the first team for six months before they eventually promoted me.” After scoring seven goals in 14 starts – 13 in the Absa Premiership and one in the Nedbank Cup – in the 2008/0 2008/09 season, Langerman was qu quickly snapped up by L League champions Su SuperSport United ahead of the new campaign. At the time, M Matsatsantsa had w wrapped up back-tob back League titles, and Ga Gavin Hunt turned to the then then-23-year-old to beef up his left-sided attacking options,ti which already featured the likes of Daine Klate and Masibusane Zongo. “It was tough to break into the SuperSport set-up because they had good players,” Langerman admits. “And Gavin Hunt is a tough coach, there’s no off day for him. Every day you have to be on top of your game, whether it’s on match-day or at training.” It was the start of a fruitful spell for the wing-back, who is able to look back on a career that includes three League titles and three domestic cups in his seven years as a professional player. “I’m very happy [with how far I’ve come] because, if you look back, from Wits I came in the second half of the season and I played 14 games and won top goalscorer,” he says. “I then went to SuperSport and won the League in my first season; my second I won Nedbank Cup. I came to Sundowns and although in my first season things didn’t go so well for me, in my second season we won the League, in my third season we won Nedbank Cup, and now this season we won two more trophies. So for me I’m happy with my journey.” Langerman rates the past season as his best ever, despite initially being dropped from Mosimane’s side following their early exit from the MTN8.

HE PUSHES ME TO THE POINT WHERE ... I THINK HE DOESN’T LIKE ME

“This season I’ve contributed a lot to us winningng the League and Telkom Knockout because ecause I’ve managed ed more assists and created more opportunities tunities [than before]. e]. “For me it t was simple – I was just waiting for my chance because the coach preferred rred [Mzikayise] Mashaba before efore me, and I think we lost st a couple of games so the coachh tried a different team. We were ere fortunate that we got some results sults after that and I managed to retain my place.” While he may not be finding the back of the net as often as he did in previous seasons, th the f former winger is relishing his change in role at Downs, and believes it was a major turning point. “I can say being converted into a defender has been the best thing for me. It helped me to maintain my career because I don’t think, if I was still playing as a left-winger, that I would be where I am now. You know, you can get different wingers, and some coaches prefer different wingers, but as a defender you have a longer career so it has been a blessing for me to play at left-back.” Converting players from one position to another has become a trend with ‘Jingles’, who has turned the likes of Bongani Zungu from an attacking midfielder to a defensive, box-to-box figure in the centre of the park. Langerman lauds the former Bafana Bafana coach’s contribution to the improvement of his game, but says they continuously clash on football matters. “Pitso has helped me a lot in terms of tactics, organisation, being calm on the ball and many other things. He’s taught me to watch my games and now I’m able to work on my mistakes so he came with a different philosophy,” Langerman says. “He always pushes me to the point where sometimes I feel as though he doesn’t like me, because

he’s always on my case at training and during games. We fight a lot, Pitso and I, like a lot. I’m the only player who fights with Pitso every day.” As far as the national team goes, Langerman admits his disappointment at not featuring regularly, particularly following the consistency he has shown for his club recently. “I can’t say I’m happy with how things have gone for me as far as the national team goes. To be honest, I am not happy. I’m happy that coach Shakes Mashaba has called me up now, obviously, but I feel that I should have been here a long time ago because I have been a regular for so many years.” And while he adds that further extending his stay at Sundowns would bring great personal joy and satisfaction, a move abroad is top of his mind. “The one thing I still want to achieve in my career is to go oversees. That’s my big dream. It can be anywhere overseas, even if it’s for one or two seasons. “Realistically, I can say it’s too late for that, but I still have the desire to go abroad, so if the opportunity comes I will definitely take it because it’s something I’ve always wanted from a young age,” he says. “Anything can happen, but for now I can say I’m happy at Sundowns. I still have two years, and if I can get another three or four years then I’ll be proud of completing 10 years at the club.”