Battle of the coaches rages on behind the scenes
WHILE it doesn’t match the Soweto derby for stature, the Tshwane derby between Mamelodi Sundowns and SuperSport United has, over recent years, proven better than the Kaizer Chiefs versus Orlando Pirates clash in terms of the quality of football.
Unlike the usual dreary draws at the FNB Stadium, clashes at either the Lucas Moripe Stadium or Loftus Versfeld usually dish up goals galore. Nothing less is expected when the two teams from the capital lock horns in the MTN8 quarter-final on Sunday at the home of the Blue Bulls.
A sideshow to the match will be played out on the sidelines where former Bafana Bafana coaches Pitso Mosimane and Stuart Baxter continue what has, in the last four seasons, become local football’s biggest coaching rivalry.
The two coaches have alternated winning the league title by sharing the previous four, and they are again expected to be the front-runners in the marathon that is the championship race.
First, though, they have to suss each other out in the sprint that is the MTN8. Who will come out tops? Here is a glimpse into the two coaches’ approaches to the game. Pitso Mosimane Mosimane is big on combination plays and inter-passing. But he is not afraid to grind out a result if the situation demands it. He believes in taking the game to the opposition, so he says let’s attack and be compact when we have to defend. He is big on counter-pressing, thus his teams will be quick to try and win possession back once they’ve lost it instead of regrouping and trying to stop the opposition. His time in continental competitions with SuperSport United has heightened his awareness of the importance of set plays and he has worked very hard on that element of the game. Stuart Baxter
A pragmatist who prefers to start his attacks from the defence, Baxter clearly prefers his teams to be compact first and then attack. Upon losing the ball, he prefers his teams to go back into shape, reorganise themselves and try to impose their way on the game thereafter. Baxter is big on set pieces, and many an opposition team has been punished by Baxter’s team via this route. Pitso Mosimane
An obsessive scholar of the game who borders on the paranoid when it comes to getting information on matches. He has no less than three decoders that are almost full with recordings of matches – his team’s as well as the opposition’s. He often travels the country and the continent just to watch opponents. Stuart Baxter
Keeps his planning simple, prefers to cover the areas of his team that he believes need working on, and leaves the analysis of opponents to his technical team. Pitso Mosimane
A local, Mosimane knows the South African mentality inside out, and can get his way by harshly rebuking his players, even publicly. But he knows how to get them playing for him by letting them contribute to team talks and tactical planning. Stuart Baxter
When he first came to South Africa as Bafana Bafana coach, Baxter struggled to get the psyche of African players. He has clearly learnt since then, and his success with Chiefs shows that he has evolved into a players’ coach. Pitso Mosimane
Wants to win at all costs, and doesn’t handle defeat well. Often loses his cool after losses, and used to blame match officials and sometimes unseen forces out to get his team. Stuart Baxter
Hates losing, but is very good at hiding his hurt in defeat.