Shakes enjoying his stint at Spurs
MASHABA: THERE ARE MANY GOOD PLAYERS IN THIS TEAM
Jonty Mark
Shakes Mashaba is enjoying having extra time with his players at Witbank Spurs, as he prepares to face another former Bafana Bafana coach, Steve Komphela, in the Nedbank Cup last-16 today.
Spurs take on Golden Arrows at the Puma Stadium and while the focus for Mashaba, who joined the Witbank side in January, is avoiding relegation from the National First Division, the cup also represents an opportunity for some pleasant distraction from such a struggle.
Komphela, who also took charge of Arrows at the halfway point of the season after leaving Bloemfontein Celtic, is no doubt also well aware that Spurs beat Maritzburg United on penalties in the previous round.
Mashaba has spent most of his career coaching at international level, though he has also coached at club level before, including a brief spell at Black Leopards in 2004.
“The main difference is that with the national team you only have the players every two or three days but at club level you are with the players every day, you even have the chance of calling them at training every day to do extra work. Anything you want to do, you have the time,” said Mashaba, who has managed two league wins at Spurs, taking them off the bottom of the table.
“The NFD is different from the PSL (Absa Premiership),” added Mashaba.
“You are still getting players who are raw amateurs, it means a lot of work, a good approach, trying to build up sound working relationships … it is an opportunity to build a family, you can talk to them and they listen.
“We tell them that the attention they give us as coaches, they must take that to the PSL, they mustn’t just get to the PSL and think they have made it.
“I am enjoying it, I am in my second month, and there is a lot of talent, you even talk to yourself when you are sleeping, to say ‘what do I do tomorrow, how do I help these players?’
“We are still focusing on moving away from relegation, but there are a lot of good players in this team. Watch this space.”