Farouk Khan on his protégé
On his progress
“Genino was identified by one of the coaches at the academy by then, and the first time I saw him, I think Stanton Fredericks, whom I coached at Kaizer Chiefs, was in my company at training, and both of us felt I was the one who could help him to develop. He came to live with our boys at the academy. He adapted very well, started speaking Xhosa and mixed very well with our kids at the academy. He just had something very special. He had a lot of raw talent and we had to direct him in the right direction to give him the necessary tools, the right physicality, the right tactical awareness, and obviously the application of the technique was very important. He was very coachable and he picked up very quickly and was very prepared to learn. When the opportunity came, I spoke to my partner and we sent him to Portugal. He did well in Portugal, but he sustained an injury early on, yet he was so steadfast. I mean, for a young man like him to stay in Portugal and not come home once in more than three years, it shows very good character. Normally a player would feel homesick, but he said, ‘No, coach, I want to make it before I come back.’ He was determined and I am happy to see that he got the opportunity at Maritzburg United and now Stellenbosch FC has also seen the quality. I’ve heard the coach is a very big fan of his.
On what he can offer
“I think his football ability, his decision-making and his ability to find players in areas that can hurt the opposition teams are some of his qualities. Also, he has improved a lot in as far as his defensive qualities are concerned. He is a very good number eight and is also capable of scoring goals. Yes, he hasn’t yet, but I think with time and maturity he can become that type of a player. I think his foundation is very strong and he can still improve in his playing maturity. When you play at professional level, the more you play at that level, you make football much easier – you don’t run much, you know where to position yourself. The more he plays, the more he will mature. The technique is there, the tactical awareness is there. Physically, he could become stronger as he’s now playing at the highest level. Already he has two caps for Bafana Bafana, in the COSAFA Cup, and I think with hard work, he can be Bafana material. He is that type of a player that we are missing in our game, that is a modern-day playmaker. The link between defence and attack. He is the type of Themba Zwane players. They can start everything from midfield and end up finishing. I always say he is a complete player. He is involved in initiation, participation and finish. He has a good and big engine, always looking for the ball and always has solutions. I’m so excited. He attracted the national team coach only in his first season in the PSL, and normally it takes a while for players to get that recognition. There is still a lot to be seen from Genino.”