Sebola reckons it is better to analyse football than to coach

Former Orlando Pirates striker Andries Sebola (right) has made the transition from goalpoacher to information guru for SABC radio and the Department of Health.

Sebola works in the information and records division for the South African Department of Health, and his work sees him doing a lot of research and writing.

“I am a SABC Radio football analyst, I only work on PSL games during the week and on weekends.

“I work for Thobela FM and each season they have been renewing my contract.

“I studied journalism and that’s how I got the job. I also work for the Department of Health hospitals. I do a lot of writing in my line of work.”

Sebola says a permanent coaching role is something he hasn’t found a place for in his busy schedule.

He stays close to his goal of one day becoming part of a club’s technical team on a permanent basis by helping a club from rural Limpopo called Mapela, selecting players and devising training methods for the club’s Under-19 and Under-21 teams.

The former Pirates striker has his heart set on a a sports management degree and a level two coaching certificate – he has enrolled with Unisa and studies in the evenings when he returns from working at the radio station at the SABC’s Limpopo offices.

“It is not something I do all the time or every week, I only go there when I knock off maybe at four in the afternoon and go and work with them for maybe two or three days before a game to help select players and see which players will be fit for the next match. I also study for personal development. To be honest I don’t like coaching.

That field is about tactics now that’s why they play for draws, if coaches allowed players to play the way they want then we will see an improvement, they are tactical and they do that to protect their jobs.

South Africans play football and they should give the boys freedom to play.

“But coaches are afraid of losing their jobs and the pressure when the results don’t come is too much.

“Look at Steve Komphela for example.”

The father-of-three alluded tothe importance of speaking one’s home language fluently and how it worked in his favour when he got a job at Thobela FM.

Sebola has a son and two daughters, and says he will not push them into playing football, stressing that parents should allow their children to decide what they want to do careerwise.

“Nowadays there is a lot that is happening with kids, you need to be with them, so I try and be with my family and to guide my children and check on their schoolwork.

“You can see there are drugs, alcohol and kids misbehaving so you need to pay attention as a parent.

“So when I am away from work and football I try to make sure I am with them and to look at how they interact with other kids and people in general.”