A lot of lies were spread

Masebe Qina: Heita daar, Dance! What have you been up to?

Dan Malesela: Nothing much really, it’s been boring. I’m just keeping myself busy trying to see what I can do to improve the game when I return. I’m trying to find better ways of training the players for when I get back with a new club. So, those are some of the things that I’ve been busy with. The most important thing that we need to aim for as coaches is to improve our football and the players.

MQ: Are you attending coaching courses or following the latest trends in world football?

DM:

I’m watching local and international football. When it comes to football, there are things that you cannot get through courses. Obviously, courses do prepare you, but at the end of the day you will still have to think for yourself out there when doing the job. I sit and watch when (Mamelodi) Sundowns is playing and I think, “How can I counter what they are doing when I get a club or even do better than how they are doing?” So, I’ve been using my time to good effect.

MQ: So, have you figured out how to stop Downs then?

DM:

I always thought and believed that with better resources where you are, you can counter what they are doing. I think I have, in the past, given Sundowns trouble with the teams that I coached, but because of the limited resources, sometimes you find yourself coming short of what you aim to achieve. I’m hoping that when I find a club, it will be a team with good resources. At the end of the day, we will end up facing a challenge and everybody in the league will have to do their homework, otherwise if it is going to go on like this, people will end up losing hope about winning the league and trophies.

MQ: Do you feel that coaches are let down by club bosses with their expectations?

DM:

For me, it has always been a case of getting a team right and come the end of the season, players are sold … or even in the middle of the season … and you then must start afresh. That is always going to be difficult. But you have to try even if the resources are limited. I don’t want a situation where clubs get into the league only to sell players and having no intentions of competing. I don’t know how many semifinals of the Nedbank Cup that I’ve been to, they are countless, and I did so with very limited resources. I’ve been to two cup finals, but come the following season, things change and you don’t have the bulk of the players you had. I think the only time that Chippa United did not fight relegation was when I was there for the first season and we ended up in the top six. When these things happen, it is always going to be a tall order for you to get the team right again. When you work on improving the players and they get sold, it’s always going to be a challenge to find the same kind of quality again.

MQ: Hard work gone in vain for you, that we can imagine, but more money in the bank account for a club boss.

DM:

I’ve never been in a situation where I was asked for my suggestion on players to buy for any of the clubs I coached. Even if I’m the one who suggested on the player to buy, it has never happened. I’ve always looked for players either from the First Division (Motsepe Foundation Championship) or even from the ABC Motsepe League, which is much lower. If not that, you find yourself choosing from the players that have been released by their clubs in the PSL (top tier) and pick the ones you think you can work with to improve and so on. It is always going to be tough when you find yourself in such situations where you do justice for this person (club boss) but get very less in return. Coaches need to be taken care of as well and by that, I don’t mean only financially, but if you have a coach and you see potential in him, take care of that coach by empowering him. Sometimes it seems like we are

Despite being credited for his belief in attractive football, Dan Malesela must be one of the unluckiest coaches around. ‘Dance’, as he’s fondly known, is currently without a club after parting ways with Marumo Gallants in January. He had been with the Limpopo-based outfit for just under a season, having come back for a second spell from Royal AM, where he also had a brief stint. What could be the reason behind his short-lived spells with clubs despite being one of many football lovers’ favourite coaches? Soccer Laduma’s Masebe Qina caught up with the 58-year-old, and as usual, the charismatic mentor was in his element as he talks about the sacrifices he has made all for the wellbeing of his players, where club bosses sometimes get it wrong, why Bahlabane Ba Ntwa faltered last season… and more. just there to be used and there are these high expectations that do not match what has been provided for, for the coach to perform his duties.

MQ: There might be a perception that you are difficult to work with. What kind of a relationship have you always had with your previous employers?

DM:

I’m a very accommodative person (giggles). I’m very realistic as to where I am and what is there for me. Sometimes I go to the extent of covering other things that I shouldn’t be getting involved in at a club. If, for example, we are travelling and the food is late or for whatever reason the food is not there, I buy the food (for the team) and then claim later (from the club). I taught myself to never complain, for the sake of progress and harmony among the team. I would pay for food out of my pocket and buy whatever that is needed at that particular moment, from water and whatever else, and then submit a claim for my money. If the money doesn’t come back, then for me that is not a big problem, but I don’t want people to get into that habit because we can lose track of what we are supposed to do as individuals in our different tasks. At the end of the day, everybody must perform their respective duties because if you are going to hold me responsible for the team’s results, you need to also play your part in the group. You need to show that you want to help me to succeed as doing so would also mean that the club succeeds. It all starts with the club because if you are replacing me while knowing that you had not been supportive, how are you going to help the next person? Sometimes there is need for understanding of football that has to be there if you are involved in football.

MQ: We couldn’t agree more with you.

DM: Football is very expensive. The more you are going to complain about money, the more difficult things are going to be. We need to be realistic about things. Yes, it can be difficult (to run a club), but we need to know what we are getting ourselves into. I’ve never been in a situation, at any of the clubs I coached, where people wouldn’t be happy with the performance of the team. Yes, sometimes the results would not be favourable, but that would be because of so many underlying issues, but because we don’t want to put blame on everyone, we would not talk about those. I’m talking personal issues of the players with a club, which would end up coming to me, but I would not go out there to rubbish the club. I try to make the players think about

their careers and not anything else. In the end, whether one is complaining about his signing-on fee or any other amount of money he is owed, when we get into the field, people do not know about those issues. They are only there to watch you perform on the field and you will be judged on your performance on the day. Players market themselves every day when they play on the field, but sometimes as a coach you can see that the mind of the player was just not there. I’ve been in a situation where I had to beg players to go to training before a cup final. I did so because it was clear to me that they did not want to train. So, I’m one person who has always been helpful to others, but being like that doesn’t mean that I will not tell you when I see that what you are doing is not right. But I’m not the one to shout and scream and speak ill of you, although sometimes I feel I should. As a coach, you don’t have to be limited to the skills of only coaching the players, but you must be able to manage the club itself – I’m talking about your involvement from the juniors all the way up. At Marumo Gallants, I also helped in the DDC (DStv Diski Challenge) team. People would phone to say there was a shortage of this and that and I would just send the money to pay for whatever that needed to be bought. I did that in the name of football and didn’t want the harmony of the players to be affected.

MQ: There were a lot of stories coming out of Gallants about alleged unpaid salaries and bonuses. How did that affect your job? DM:

That is the part that I really tried to help on. A lot of bad things would have happened had I not been there. There were a lot of lies that were spread around that I told the players to do this and that in some games that we drew or lost, and things like that. If Dan Malesela can do something like that, then there would be something wrong. I remember in the olden days when I was still playing for Orlando Pirates, I had already learnt that you don’t encourage wrongdoing, but you need to come up with better solutions. Back then, Pirates were sponsored by Chibuku and that was before Dr. (Irvin) Khoza came back to the club. We had a game at Super Stadium, which is now known as Lucas Moripe Stadium, and the players did not want to go and play. The stadium was already packed when they said that and I told the guys about the danger of what they were planning on doing. I told them that what they were planning had the potential of leading to deaths of many people. I told them that we or our officials would be in trouble. I made it clear to them that I did not want to be part of that. The supporters had already paid money for their entrance into the stadium and that’s why I told the guys of how careful we should be with our actions. So, it started from there for me and I know what is meant by leadership and I know how to handle it. Anybody saying other things about me… I don’t know, maybe he is either not okay somewhere somehow, I have no idea. I might make mistakes here and there, like any other human being, but I try to be fair with anything that I do.

MQ: Were you surprised that the club got relegated?

DM:

To an extent, I was not. I was not surprised, but the situation could have been saved had the club dealt with things better. There were quite a number of things that were done that you cannot do as a club. There were a number of players who were doing well for the club but were sold. You cannot sell players and think that the situation will favour you. You cannot put the engine of a Nissan 1400 in a Lamborghini and expect the Lamborghini to still run the same way. You would be surprised as the other cars are going past you because you’ve got a small engine. I mean, you have a striker who is scoring goals in Sede Dion, but in the middle of the season you decide to sell him. It always happens and maybe that’s how we should learn. Another challenge is that some club chairmen have these clubs they own, but they put people in charge to run the clubs for them. You can do that, but you need somebody who is knowledgeable to run the show for you. It shouldn’t be about their loyalty to you and the trust you have for them, it should be about the knowledge.

THAT WHAT “I TOLD THEM PLANNING THEY WERE OF POTENTIAL HAD THE DEATHS OF TO LEADING PEOPLE.” MANY

MQ: Spot on. Hope to see you in the dugout soon, coach.

DM: Thank you. Sharp!

Jose Riveiro must think we are in Finland. This is not a Mickey Mouse team. This is a big team. How could he start with Innocent Maela, Miguel Timm, Kabelo Dlamini and Souaibou Marou against Jwaneng Galaxy? When last did these players play a competitive match? Even Fortune Makaringe can’t give you anything.

Stephen Mpya, Mamphulo village

I’m flummoxed to learn some believe Zwane is a failure because he’s never plied his trade abroad, for he’s a complete footballer and, in any case, sometimes it’s not about what you know but who you know. During our arguments in the Soccer Laduma readers’ WhatsApp group, I gave the Khune example. Had he been managed by Rob Moore or Mike Makaab, he’d still be playing in England or Spain. Not taking anything away from Jazzman Mahlakgane, but how many players has he sent overseas? Teko, Tshabalala and Khune should have gone abroad even before the 2010 World Cup, but because their manager isn’t connected, that just remains a mere dream. I even asked this one fellow reader whether he thinks Mothiba is better than Zwane just because he plays abroad? Some fans need to be educated about football. There are even players playing kasi football who are way better than some of the players we watch week in and week out. Typical example is Druzza Sodisha. What a complete footballer. On his day, he can singlehandedly win the game for his team, but he still plays in the dusty streets of Kadichuene.

Khune will forever remain the best ever goalie in this country. He was let down by his agent. Thoughts? Tente “The Brains” Mokoka, Sepharane

The physical and verbal altercations between Dynamos and Highlanders supporters at Barbourfields in Zimbabwe recently are uncalled for. Heartbreaking, especially when they involve the two clubs, who are undoubtedly the collective soul of football in Zimbabwe. We all understand the traditional rivalry between the two football giants, but true rivalry is not defined in violence. Rivalry literally begets competition. It pushes one another up. Yesteryear footballers ascended to stardom because of rivalry. Ex-professionals like Peter Ndlovu, Moses Chunga, the late duo of Willard Khumalo and David Mandigora, Rahman Gumbo, Sunday Marimo, Madinda “Nkhatazile” Ndlovu, Misheck Marimo, Peter Nkomo, Leon Tawa Tawa, the late Adam Ndlovu and Vitalis Takawira reached the zenith of their careers because of the objective rivalry that existed between Highlanders and Dynamos. The true sense of rivalry was defined when Dynamos hosted ASEC Mimosas in the 1998 CAF Champions League final. The National Sports Stadium was aswarm with Highlanders and Dynamos supporters. It was a sea of blue and black. One could hear the echoes of ululations 15 kilometres away. That was the competitive virtue of rivalry. Let us revisit those good old days in embracing rivalry and detach violence from it.

Batsirai Kativu, Johannesburg

What a weekend of football we witnessed in the English Premier

League! Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Liverpool all came from behind to win their respective games. These teams showed fighting spirit in those games. That’s what we expect to see week in, week out in our domestic league, and not a situation where a team scores a solitary goal and starts being defensive. Attack is the best form of defence. Back home, I think a draw for Kaizer Chiefs against Royal AM was a fair result because both teams wasted some goalscoring opportunities. Both were offensive in their approach. Xolani Ngcobo stood between Chiefs and victory and he made brilliant saves and deservedly won the Man of the Match award. Ashley Du Preez had an off day and should have been substituted after the interval. Christian Saile was an impact player and made his presence felt from the bench with his high work-rate, and unfortunately Du Preez failed to connect with his cross. After two wins in a row before the international break, I think a draw for the Glamour Boys was not a bad result at all. Bernard “Bra Ben” Tshukudu, Ga-Maria

I foresee an interesting CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup campaign this season because teams either win or draw their respective home matches. Our teams playing in these competitions should stamp their authority. On a different note, looking at Manchester United, they are slowly becoming like the French rugby team – blowing hot and cold. By the time this edition goes to the shelves, Bayern Munich will probably have annihilated them. Jeffrey “Oarasib” Hartzenberg, Klapmuts, Stellenbosch

Manchester City look strong this season, as usual, and I believe they are going to defend their title with ease. There is no challenger. Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Arsenal seem to be struggling to find their feet. Pep Guardiola always masters his art in every league he goes to. He is now enjoying his football in England. He will not stop winning, as he is a natural fighter who enjoys victory. His success is synonymous with that of Mamelodi Sundowns in South African football. They have won all their games so far (before the game against Orlando Pirates) and are still showing hunger. Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and Moroka Swallows don’t give Sundowns any challenge. Rhulani Mokwena is the younger brother of Pep. His innovations keep him going. Rhulani and Pep are my favourites, I support them. Terah Maqepula, Mount Fletcher

No Cristiano Ronaldo, no problem as Portugal thumped Luxembourg 9-0 in the Euro qualifiers. I can’t shake off the feeling that CR7 was kicking any close objects every time his nation scored. Yes, he surely wanted them to win but via an own goal and not to have a party without his presence. When I first laid my eyes on Neymar, it was in his national team colours and he used to be devastating, until injuries hampered his progress. Bruno Fernandes was a chief-in-command against Luxembourg, assisting three goals and scoring one himself. Paul Pogba rules the French national team’s midfield when fit and the last time he played and enjoyed his club football must have been during his first stint with Juventus. Lately, he seems to be caught up in football demons that could end his career early, which is very sad. Some players seem to thrive better in national team colours than in club ones. But having said that, Manchester United’s woes are bigger than those of the players. Now they have problems with Jaden Sancho, who was hot property at Borussia Dortmund. Man United are a common denominator here. They don’t score enough goals, yet they don’t see the need to buy a lethal striker. It makes Benni McCarthy’s job difficult because there are no strikers to teach. Lucky Khunou, Meriting

When both Manchester teams were trailing at half-time against West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion respectively, I knew that our noisy neighbours, Manchester City, would ruthlessly come back. But I did not want to raise my hopes with my team Manchester United because they know how to disappoint, just like Kaizer Chiefs. It was painful when our former player, Danny Welbeck, was first to score after the Brighton sweeper started the move at the back with a risky pass. We lost to a very difficult team to beat, but I was very impressed with their sweeper, who is very comfortable with the ball. In most cases, he took risky passes to either his fellow central defender instead of making a safe pass to their left back, who was always free. Pep Guardiola admires this type of a defender. It was truly a weekend of comebacks in the English Premier League. My main worry is that Man United have now lost three times in five games, meaning challenging for the league trophy will remain a very distant dream.