Coaches I’ve worked with: What a gentleman this man was

I am always looking forward to speaking to our readers and giving praise to those who came before us. It is always nice to talk about people’s contribution towards South African football and the influence they had in the game. This week, I’m talking about the late James “Akulalwa” Mabena, who was one of the best Moroka Swallows left backs. It is really sad that we recently lost him, but no one will escape death. What we have to do now is to accept God’s will and continue with the legend’s legacy, especially those who learned a lot from his teachings. This man was involved with the School of Excellence, a

SAFA project where a number of young stars were unearthed and taught the basics of football. In those days, when this legend was heading the School of Excellence, they dominated youth football and produced a lot of quality talent that went on to make names for themselves. A very humble individual, a very intelligent coach and you could tell, in his heyday as a Swallows defender, that he was more than just a footballer. I had an opportunity to watch this man play for the Dube Birds, little did I know that we would interact on a regular basis at some stage of our lives. This man played alongside the likes of Shakes Mashaba and they had a formidable Swallows team. He had an educated left foot, rocksolid with a professional conduct. You’d want people like him to continue contributing towards our football, but that is sadly not happening. For those who don’t know, James was a member of the first South African national team and it is sad that these guys were deprived an opportunity to showcase their talents at international level because of the apartheid regime. I have no doubt that people would be talking a different story about our football now had those guys been exposed to international football. I’m telling you, these guys would have put our football on the map and got people talking and interested in our football. They won most of the games they played against Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and I remember going to the stadium to watch some of their games, and it was unbelievable. The great work Bra James did after his retirement is something never to be forgotten about because we need more of it. He made no noise about it, as he quietly transitioned from footballer to a development coach. We are proud of the job he has done at the School of Excellence and the results are there for everyone to see. He has run his

Football has exposed me to a lot of different characters and I am grateful for every one of them. I met Roger Feutmba as an opponent, while he was playing for Mamelodi Sundowns, and I don’t think there are many people who didn’t look forward to our competition in the middle of the park and what we gave to our respective teams. Our rivalry was on another level because we always wanted to be the best. Nothing that happened on the field was ever personal between us. We were just brothers who loved one another even though we played for different teams. Until today, this is someone who has not changed once. He will call me and the first thing he will say is, “Hey Doc, it is the General here” and off will our conversation go. This man remains so passionate about football and he watches almost every game. He will call to discuss something to do with football or even life in general. This man is a brother and a friend. I am really honoured to have him in my life. Everyone knows what this man has done for South race and made enough impact to touch people’s lives. May he rest in peace. I just thought I would pay my last respects to the fallen legend. I think, just like many others, this man was not celebrated enough and it is so sad. I’m fortunate to have witnessed this man’s greatness and I’m sure everyone will agree with me when I say this man was one of the best to ever play football. I hope those who were close to this legend will one day tell a story about this legend so that his history doesn’t get forgotten or swept under the carpet. What a gentleman this man was. Once again, may his soul rest in peace.

African football and Mamelodi Sundowns since gracing our shores. What a humble and intelligent guy! Words fail me when it comes to painting a picture of what this man means to me. He is undoubtedly one of the best midfielders we have ever had. Not an easy opponent to face because he’s going to make your life difficult. However, not a single football person didn’t appreciate what he was doing for his team on the field of play. Our competition was always exciting because it was clean and not personal. People still talk about how we made them feel and how they always looked forward to our contests. I thank the Almighty for making sure that I cross paths with this man. I also want to thank Sundowns for identifying and bringing this wonderful legend to our country. What a dedicated left-footed player! It was always great sharing the field with you, Roger, and I thank you for everything. I wish you everything of the best in your future endeavours. It wouldn’t hurt to have another meet-up over coffee again soon because it has been a while since I last saw you.