Toyana ‘still a coaching student’

GEOFFREY Toyana believes he is still only in the learning stages of his coaching career, despite great accomplishments in his first season as head honcho of the Lions.

Toyana made history at the start of the season by becoming SA’s first black African provincial coach.

One of his first assignments after his appointment was to lead the side in the Champions League Trophy, and he did so admirably as the side reached the final.

On the domestic scene, the Lions became one of the more dominant and feared sides in all forms of cricket under his tutelage.

The side went on to end up in second position in the first-class Sunfoil Series, and shared the Momentum One Day Cup after weather prevented a result in their final against the Cape Cobras.

Many of the players described the coach as a player’s coach who brings the best out of them.

On Sunday, Toyana managed to achieve what the Lions had failed to do for six years — win a trophy.

The Gauteng side beat the Titans by 30 runs in the Ram Slam Twenty20 final, ending the drought which began after the 2006-07 season. “I’m very, very pleased. It was long overdue. I’m very proud of this group of players. This is the first trophy in six years, so the camp is very pleased and happy,” Toyana said yesterday. “It really means a lot to me. “I never thought I would achieve something when I was appointed. I’m really grateful to the Lions board for taking a chance with me. It was a huge gamble that they took and it has now paid off,” he said.

Toyana said he wanted the Lions to become the dominant force in local cricket. “Our vision is to be the best team in franchise cricket for the next couple of seasons,” he said.

He said that the challenge was now to be consistent, not that they had set the bar high.

“The last couple of years, we’ve played in finals but taken a step backwards in them,” Toyana said.

“This time we wanted to step forward. For once we arrived in the final and hopefully the floodgates will now open,” he said.

Skipper Alviro Petersen also believed the future was bright for the resurgent outfit.

“We want to be the best franchise in SA and today was a big step towards that,” the skipper said after lifting a trophy with the Lions for the first time.

Toyana admitted that he had not banked on so much success in his debut season.

“I’m really proud of the boys, and the big thing is that they bought into my coaching style,” he said.

“To be honest, I never thought my first season would go so well. I knew we had talent in the set-up, and experienced players, but it was only in the back of my mind that we might do anything special.”

Toyana has already received recognition for his coaching ability.

Last week he was named coach for the SA Emerging Squad that will play in the quadrangular Twenty20 tournament in Namibia this month.