Nikola’s second act
… Could Kavazovic be just what the doctor ordered for Popa?
Kabelo Gadise
FOOTBALL
Nikola Kavazovic’s reappointment as head coach of Township Rollers poses a huge threat to some of the ambitious clubs in the country. The Serbian coach joins Mapalastina for the second time following a successful spell back in 2017.
Kavazovic has proven his mettle in the country, not just that, he has also gained a bit of experience while coaching Free State Stars in the elite South African Premier Soccer League; despite the team relegating. Nikola is expected to have taken home valuable knowledge and information to further hone his craft.
Having worked with Popa before, Kavazovic is no stranger to the team as he knows their style of play and understands it better than anyone. He can turn around the club’s fortunes in a short spell. The Serbian has worked with almost every player in the squad hence bringing results might not be much difficult for him.
During his time in the country, Kavazovic has proven to be a tactical head, transforming Popa both defensively and in attack. He led Popa to the group stages of the CAF Champions League before he was eliminated in the same stage.
The coach’s tactical style is advanced and requires that his players should always be switched on for a quick transition from defense to attack; his style is characterized by a two men midfield, one attacking while the other does the
dirty work. Kavazovic is a good player manager, although he has had his fair share of friction with numerous players including Lemponye Tshireletso and Mwampule Masule during his time at Popa. The coach managed to join the team together and ensure they play collectively. His reunion with Mapalastina is both logical and easy to understand, the team has never been the same since he left and they have been declining season after season; possibly his return will be a change of scenery for both the management and the supporters.
The Serb was head coach at MmaMasire and for 16 months he led the side to a BTC Premiership and Mascom Top 8 titles. He also steered Rollers to the group stages of the CAF Champions League in the same season.
One of the most exciting things about the return of Kavazovic is the fact that the rivalry between Orapa United and Township Rollers will continue to grow with his break away assistant coach Mogomotsi Mpote now leading Orapa United.
Mpote and Kavazovic have had bad blood while at Township Rollers. The duo did not agree on a lot of things which caused them not to see eye to eye until Mpote was released from his job. When these two meet egos are expected to collide and tactics will tell who is more advanced. Furthermore the Serbian has advanced knowledge and insight on Popa’s main rivals like Gaborone United and Jwaneng Galaxy having had a short spell at both respective teams.