It was also the right time

Masebe Qina: Coach Mandla, what are your plans for the 2023/24 season?

Mandla Qhogi:

I’ve been at home and searching for opportunities that may come up since my contract (with Orlando Pirates) finished at the end of June. I’ve been helping some players privately, but I won’t mention their names or the clubs they play for. One of the guys is with a DStv Premiership club and the other two are playing for a Motsepe Foundation Championship team. I’ve been helping them with their individual training and that’s something that has kept me busy these past few weeks. I do players’ individual training, and I will tell you one thing that people don’t know… In the 2012/13 season when Pirates won the league, I was assisting coach (Augusto) Palacios with (training) the strikers. In that team, there were players like Benni McCarthy, Tokelo Rantie, Rudolf Bester, Bongani Ndulula and others. I’d take the strikers after the (main training) session to work with them individually and sometimes that would take place before the main training session. I’d work with the guys in line with what coach Palacios wanted to be achieved. Coach Palacios would call me and tell me what he wanted for a parsession ticular training and I’d make sure that I delivered on that.

MQ: So, you were doing what McCarthy is doing to Marcus Rashford and them at Man United these days?

MQ: That’s true. Benni was very professional. He knew what he still wanted to achieve even though his career was in its latter stages. He’d also get involved in terms of advising on the things he thought we needed to perfect and all that. Having said that, I was the one who organised the sessions on a daily basis.

MQ: For some it would seem an intimidating exercise to coach Benni.

MQ: Ja, look, I’ve been in the industry for long and being there with a coach of Palacios’ calibre also helped. Coach Palacios was very helpful in terms of making sure that things always ran smoothly.

MQ: So, what’s behind you leaving

MQ: I think it would be best if we leave that one at that – that I left the club and that the chapter has been closed. You know when you are in an environment for long, and a club decides that it is no longer in need of your services anymore, it is better to move on. It is better to pass the baton onto people who are more capable than you are, who you are leaving behind to continue doing the job.

the story Bucs?

MQ: Doesn’t sound convincing response…

MQ:

like a

No, I’m happy and I think I played my part at the club. What has happened isn’t something that I can hold against the club and I think I did enough during my years with the club and maybe it was the right time to move on.

MQ: You joined 18 years ago.

Mandla Qhogi is a modest human being if you consider that he had a hand in the development of players such as Zakhele Lepasa, Relebohile Mofokeng and Lyle Foster. He might not be shouting from the rooftops

about it, but 18 years spent at an institution like Orlando Pirates honing the skills of young starlets is nothing to sneeze at. However, he has since vacated the building. Qhogi was head coach of the DStv Diski Challenge side, having previously held roles in almost all the age groups at the club. Soccer Laduma’s Masebe Qina caught up with the passionate mentor to discuss the turn of events, how he once ‘coached’ Benni McCarthy and the like, age-cheating in the youth structures, and more.

MQ: I was working for FNB as a sales consultant and one of my friends was working for the club at the time. Coach Palacios needed coaches for his academy, the Augusto Palacios Apprentice Academy. I remember receiving a call from my friend the other morning as I was about to leave the house for work and he informed me that there was an opportunity for me to work for the club and he wanted to know if I’d be interested. My answer to him was a definite ‘yes’ and from there, I we nt to meet with Palacios and, as they say, the rest is history. I think it was in March 2005 when I started at the club, and around June, I received positive feedback from coach Palacios, who said he tho ught I was capable enough to be among the coaches in the development. That was when I joined as an assistant in the U19 team under coach Godfrey Malabule.

MQ: W your reer! MQ: There was U19 tournaent Pirates won the previous year, known as the SuperSport Cup. The prize for winning that c ompetition was participation in the Gothia Cup, an international youth football tournament. The tourname nt took place in Sweden and, on return from there, Godfrey resigned, unfortunately. I took over as the head coach to replace him. In 2006, I worked with the U12 team until 2008, having

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won the Danone Cup in 2007 and the Milo Cup, and we had gone to represent South Africa at the Danone Nations Cup in France. In 2008, we went to Spain to play against FC Barcelona’s U14 team and, on return from there, I took charge of the U15 team. From there, I moved to the U17 team from 2010 to 2012. I had also been in charge of the club’s SAB Promotional League at some point and we won promotion. The club decided to restructure in 2013 and closed the development for a year, and we came back in 2014 – that’s when I took the U17 team again. I also worked with the ABC Motsepe League team, now known as Pele Pele, but at the time it was known as Yebo Yes. I joined the MDC (MultiChoice, now DStv Diski Challenge) team in 2019 and was there until the 2021/22 season while also doubling up working with the SAB League team.

MQ: Last season, you were replaced as the club’s DDC team coach by Joseph Makhanya. What led to the changes?

MQ:

When Joe took over, I was working hand-in-hand with coach Simon Marange in the SAB League team. To answer your question, I had been with the club for too long and I thought for me, it was also the right time for a change. Without having won the trophy with the DDC team, there was a need for someone who would bring something new to the team and fresh ideas.

MQ: How was the journey? MQ:

It has always been about dedication and loyalty to the club. Over the years, I did my utmost best to bring several players to the club – I’m talking about payers such as Zakhele Lepasa, Boitumelo Radiopane, Relebohile Mofokeng (Ratomo at the time), Thabiso Sesane, Tercious Malepe who is now with AmaZulu FC, Kamohelo Sithole and Bradley Mojela who are now both at Sekhukhune United, Kopano Thuntsane, the Bophela twins (Simiso and Simo), Samkelo Kabini who is at TS Galaxy now and a whole lot of other players. I brought Lyle Foster when he was 13 years old. I went to scout him together with coach (Johannes) “Yster” Khomane at the Union Stadium in Westbury when we conducted the trials there. We came back with him and another boy called Aiden, and I can’t remember the other boy’s name. I also brought Nhlakanipho Ntuli to the club and several other players.

MQ: All talented players. You should be commended for your important role in football development. MQ:

I think I played my part at the club and I am very grateful for the opportunity that was given to me by the institution. It will never go unnoticed.

MQ: How do you feel when seeing players you scouted, like Lepasa and Mofokeng, doing so well for the first team?

MQ:

It is a privilege and I think it also comes down to the knowledge about the profession. It is all about the understanding of the players and what the club requires. In my many years at Pirates, we’ve always strived to do well with all the players that we brought to the club and developed as you can see with the list that I’ve given you.

MQ: What does one look for when

scouting a player for Orlando Pirates? MQ:

As I’m talking to you, I am currently doing a course with IPSO (International Professional Scouting Organisation) – it’s a company based in England. What is important about scouting is being fair to every one of these players by giving them (an) opportunity to showcase their talent. There are certain attributes that we look for in players and those have got to do with players fitting into the club’s structure, and that is very important. Does the player know his role for the position he plays in? Does the player understand the tactics of the coach? We analyse the players on these things and more. We look at the physique of a player, pace, attitude, work-rate and technical ability. We look at the game knowledge of the player. Is the player intelligent to execute what he’s been tasked with? By that, I mean does the player understand the role, opponent, as well as the field in terms of what he needs to do? So, there are a lot of qualities that we look for before deciding on the players to take, but what is more important is that the players should be taken in collaboration with the club’s philosophy because all these attributes must meet what the club’s philosophy requires. If you are a goalkeeper, are you a goalkeeper that can play from the back? Are you comfortable with the ball at your feet? Are you able to command your area? Are you good in terms of your distribution both with feet and hands? Those are the details that we look for from players.

MQ: Best player to have ever come out of Pirates’ development?

MQ:

(Thinks for a moment) It’s a tough one, but for me, a player like Thabiso Sesame would be up there. Yes, he hasn’t been seen enough so far, but there is a lot of potential in that boy. I won’t talk about Mofokeng because he has already got the exposure. I won’t talk about Lyle Foster because he is already playing overseas. I won’t talk about Nhlakanipho Ntuli. But there is also a player called Azola Tshobeni, currently on loan at JDR Stars – he’s one of the players that are also going to make it.

MQ: What are your experiences with age-cheating in football at grassroots level?

MQ:

I think without proof that a player has cheated when it comes to his age, it is very difficult to manage. Back in those days after I arrived at the club, maybe between 2008 and 2011, there was a bit of that, but we couldn’t prove it. Even if we can go to Home Affairs, the documents that the players come with, they look legit, but one would suspect that it was there.

MQ: What made you suspicious? MQ:

Sometimes it would be the action of the player. I mean, with some of the actions, you would know that it wasn’t something that would be done by a young boy. For example, you would know a boy to be a 12-year-old, but the things he would do are not things that would be done by a boy that age.

BETWEEN “MAYBE 2011, 2008 AND A BIT THERE WAS BUT WE OF THAT, PROVE IT.” COULDN’T

MQ: What do you mean? MQ:

In terms of behaviour, the attitude. And you would find that others were doing it with ease… talking back to coaches… and then you could see that no, no, no. But like I’m saying, without proof, there is nothing much that one can do and I cannot say there was age-cheating because I cannot prove that.

MQ: Mandla, thanks for taking the time to talk to Soccer Laduma readers.

MQ:

I’d like to thank Dr. Irvin Khoza, as well as his two sons, in Mr. Nkosana and Mr. Mpumelelo Khoza, for the opportunity they granted me to be part of this great institution. To all the people that I worked with at the club, I wish them everything of the best. To the supporters, let’s rally behind the club. Thank you to you too, Masebe, my brother, and the Soccer Laduma family.

colours. I wish the technical team could just advise him to take it easy and play his normal game without feeling pressure as the national team is different from his club. All in all, the team is gelling well and hopefully they’ll do better in games to come. Malesela “Dance” Boya, Kanana, Hammanskraal

I think when Bafana Bafana play friendly games, the opponents must be tougher countries like Cameroon, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Egypt, just to mention a few. To play countries like Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini, for example, won’t benefit us. We need stronger countries because in the Afcon, we will meet those countries, not these lowly ranked countries we are busy playing now. Nyambeni Samson Khuphani, Tshiawelo Ext 5

What a dull encounter to watch between South Africa and Namibia. Even though it was a friendly match, Bafana Bafana lacked cohesion and aggression. It’s games like this where we have to show the opposition that we are hungry for success and pressurize them from the first whistle. No matter who is in the starting line-up on the day, the performance must show due to the commitment of the players. The players must realise that when you wear that jersey, you are representing your country and fighting for the badge. Most players don’t even show commitment when they sing the national anthem. Hugo Broos, our time to be on a learning curve and still experiment is long over, it’s now time to separate the boys from the men. The pride of the nation is at stake, the players owe it to our fallen heroes like Clive “The Dog” Barker. The Afcon is around the corner, let’s improve while it’s early. It’s time now to reclaim our former glory on the African continent. Let the players be selected on merit and each one play with their hearts on their sleeves.

Gavin Ryan, Emalahleni

Coach Hugo Broos is about to make history in South Africa. The Bafana Bafana match against Namibia was a world-class one, believe it or not. Most of the players selected are not regulars at club level, but you couldn’t notice that. Remember, Namibia have been playing good football of late and they are really competing. They wanted a win or draw against Bafana and you could see that. I was happy with our charges’ performance. You could see that everyone wanted to play for the national team. Even though there were no goals, I believe coach Broos is happy with the pool of players to choose from. We are going to compete in the Afcon. Khuliso Mudau must be called up for next year’s tournament in Ivory Coast. Terah Maqepula, Mount Fletcher

Quick One-Two’s

Thobela FM sports presenter Clifford Choshi’s personal hatred for Kaizer Chiefs cannot be left unchallenged, especially as it is manifested using a public platform. His tendency of always ridiculing Chiefs is enough for the evidence. Choshi must be aware that he is entitled to his opinion as far as his favourite clubs are concerned, but he should keep that to himself in his own private space, not the SABC. Impartiality is required for people in his position. During his interview with Alex Bapela on the same station this past week, he asked the football legend for his views about the controversial “offside” that denied Joel Masilela a clear goal during the 1997 Rothmans Cup final. That decision was obviously wrong. But the way Choshi went on about it made it look as if Chiefs were to blame. Chiefs had nothing to do with the decision! The offside was flagged by the assistant referee. Remember that Chiefs were also on the receiving end of an unfair refereeing decision when Esau Kanyenda scored for Jomo Cosmos in the Coca-Cola Cup final whilst in an offside position. No one bothered to say anything about it because intelligent people know that the referee’s decision is final. Choshi’s favourite club, Mamelodi Sundowns, also scored from an offside position against Chiefs a week prior to his interview with Barnes. He did not mention it. Perhaps Choshi should interview Peter Khoabane regarding the latter’s allegations that he was given R20 000 by a Sundowns official as a bribe to throw away a game while Khoabane was playing for Vaal Professionals. That was the last game of the season and Sundowns were tied with Chiefs on points and needed a better goal average to win the league for the third consecutive season. The rest is history as Sundowns went on to win the league via a better goal difference. You know Clifford, Chiefs started winning trophies long before you knew about football and didn’t wait for some crook to steal money from Standard Bank so as to be able to buy quality players for the club.

Letlapa Makgabo, Pretoria

I couldn’t agree more with Chrisiph Maodi (MAKE YOUR POINT, edition 1340) regarding the number 10 jersey at Orlando Pirates. It still baffles me as to why the number was retired. There are top football-playing nations who previously had players donning that number, players that have won the World Cup, but no team has ever retired it. The blame should be squarely put on Dr. Irvin Khoza because he is the one with the final say. I also wonder what the “gentlemen’s agreement” about the number is. Surely, there must be a catch somewhere because so many requests have been made to bring back the jersey, but still it’s not happening. Jomo Sono made his name wearing number 10. I think maybe in another lifetime, it will be resurrected. Morongwa Zwee Mokgohloa, Ga-Mokgohloa

Gaston Sirino posting his new South African ID on social media has once again sparked the debate of him being eligible to represent South Africa. Personally, not only in relation to Sirino, I’m all for good, quality eligible foreign players representing us. We are supposed to import the best of the best in the country, are we not? Brazil, for example, is a football production factory and they supply the rest of the world, but not all their quality players can play for their national team. A Brazilian “C” national team player can easily be a superstar in our national team. If Marcello Allende was from Brazil, as good as he is, they wouldn’t bother looking at him, more so considering that he is playing in Africa. I say all of this because if we are brutally honest, we don’t know how to develop players of world standards and that’s why we don’t export players to the top leagues. We arrogantly believe that we are talented, yet our players can’t do the basics right and can’t adapt to tactical demands when the need arises. The professionalism, attitude, mentality, etc towards the game is not up there. Only a few, like Teboho Mokoena, sound serious about their game. We had players like Alje Schut and Ricardo Nascimento, but the only problem with them was the age. Recruiting potential superstars from other countries is a global trend. Just look at the World Cup tournaments to understand the point. But then again, we wouldn’t because we don’t export quality that other countries would want to snatch. Most European and South American players come from proper football structures, meaning they were taught basics and good habits. We forget that how you train is how you play and believe that if you can control the ball on a gravel ground, you can do better on an immaculate pitch, which is not true. Enough rest, food, etc are taken lightly here. We take minor things for granted, and those are marginal differences on the international front. I know it’s unfair to keep saying “we” when people are not doing their duties, but unfortunately, we are the nation and the national team is us. SAFA, with their lack of hands-on approach, are not even making an effort in at least finding South African European-born talents like Simon van Duivenbooden. The last I heard of him, he was apparently the one initiating the process of representing South Africa. Don’t get me wrong, yes, we have got the talent, but it is not well-developed players and until such time we have got proper conducive pitches and develop top-quality players and human beings, I’m not convinced. We are a big-fornothing footballing nation. We can agree to disagree. Lucky Khunou, Meriting “Here we mean business.” These words always reverberated during assembly time at my alma mater back in my schooling days. From the DStv Champ of Champs to the Motsepe Foundation Championship, what a story. I did indicate in one of