NUMBERS TALLY FOR OTLADISA
Just the beginning for young star with head for figures Blues test to show United’s title credentials
AYEAR ago, exciting Platinum Stars midfielder Katlego Otladisa felt out of place despite moving closer to realising his dream. “I joined Platinum Stars’ ABC Motsepe League team last year in September after spending seven years at (amateur club) Atletico FC, where I was groomed and refined as a player,” Otladisa said.
“But I felt I was ready to be in their first team and not in the ABC Motsepe League. I took it in my stride and said that I’ll show them I am ready and was promoted to the first team the following year.
“I am just a confident person who believes in his talent. Even my captain, Vuyo Mere, told me I was ready and that motivated me to do well.”
The 21-year-old from Rustenburg made his debut for Dikwena against Mamelodi Sundowns in front of his home crowd in Phokeng, but announced himself last Friday against Maritzburg United in the Telkom Knockout last 16.
Otladisa ran circles around the Team of Choice’s defence that struggled to contain him, resorting to illegally stopping the skilful, speedy winger.
His night was made more special with Dikwena advancing through penalties to set up a meeting with Bloemfontein Celtic this afternoon at Royal Bafokeng Sport Palace in the quarter-finals.
“The response from that match was overwhelming. I couldn’t even respond to all the congratulatory messages I received,” he said. “Now that people know me, I have to really show them what I am about because that was just a start.”
But South Africa almost didn’t see his talent, with his family pushing him to focus on school rather than football. “I had to negotiate with them,” Otladisa said. “I begged my parents by telling them that this is my life. They understood but there was a clause attached to it, that I mustn’t forget about school. I am looking at furthering my studies after I have settled at Platinum Stars. I want to study Business Management because me and numbers are good together. I also want to uplift other people and support my family.”
Football runs in the family. Katlego – the last born in a family of six boys and one girl – is not only living his dream but that of his siblings and his father too. Three of his brothers came close to making it professionally while his father, who was born in Botswana, also played the sport.
“I’ve heard stories that he was very good and I take a lot after him,” Otladisa said.
“He didn’t have a lot of opportunities to turn pro in his days. I am doing this not just for me but also for him and my family. He has been a good source of support and even gave me his name, James, as my middle name. I feel honoured by that because I am the last born and he has other sons he could have given it to.”
Otladisa, though, couldn’t have chosen a more difficult time to be with Stars. The Phokeng club is up for sale, sits at the bottom of the Absa Premiership standings, and fired coach Peter Butler after two league games.
“Difficult times test your mental strength,” Otladisa said. “You come out of that a stronger person. I believe this is also preparing me for the future. I am strong enough to handle it.” MANCHESTER: Jose Mourinho returns to his old club Chelsea tomorrow with his Manchester United trailing leaders Manchester City by five points and the challenge against the champions will be a major indicator of his team’s ability to close the gap.
When City visited Stamford Bridge at the end of September they delivered a statement in a 1-0 win, answering many of the doubts about whether they had the defensive soundness to go with their attacking flair.
It was a performance that suggested City are capable of playing the kind of tight, disciplined, tactical football that had been lacking at times during Pep Guardiola’s first season at the club.
United face some different questions in what is their toughest away test yet.
They were given a gentle start by the fixtures computer with modest opposition for their opening seven games and they took advantage with 21 goals and six wins.
But in their first challenge against one of the “big six”, at Liverpool, United went into their shell, clearly under instruction to not allow Juergen Klopp’s side space and to limit their own forward movement.
Debate has raged about whether that was an appropriate approach at Anfield or whether United should have been more adventurous.
Mourinho dismissed such talk, viewing the draw as a point gained, but a defeat at Huddersfield in his team’s next game added to the sense that United’s early momentum had been lost.
Last week, though, United passed another test, beating Tottenham 1-0 at Old Trafford, and a 2-0 win over Benfica in the Champions League in midweek helped to dispel talk of United losing their way.
But the challenge against the champions tomorrow is for United to show they can replicate the confident, businesslike win City showed a month ago.
United won’t want to let City, who host Arsenal tomorrow, open up a seven- or eight-point lead and defeat would allow Chelsea to move within a point of Mourinho’s men.
To get three points from their trip to west London, United need to combine the defensive solidity they showed on Merseyside with the ability to carve open Antonio Conte’s back line.
Judging by Chelsea’s woeful 3-0 loss to Roma at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday, United can have some confidence that it will be fruitful to take the game to Conte’s team.
A repeat of last season’s 4-0 mauling in this fixture certainly looks unlikely and Chelsea’s defence, so solid last season, looks far more fragile.
United need Romelu Lukaku, who Chelsea wanted to re-sign before his move to Old Trafford in the close-season, to get back to the form he showed before his six-game barren streak.
They will also need his support striker, whether that be Frenchman Anthony Martial or Marcus Rashford, to work closer to him than in the draw with Liverpool where Martial wandered in deep positions leaving the Belgian isolated. - Reuters