Pitso and Gavin: Two crazy but quality coaches

MAMELODI Sundowns’ goalkeeper Denis Onyango has counted his blessings since gracing South African football, having been coached by the most successful coaches in the PSL – Pitso Mosimane and Gavin Hunt.

Mosimane has won a record 13 trophies as a coach, which include five league titles, in topflight football, while his friend and opponent, Hunt has bagged eight trophies, which includes four championships.

It was back in 2006 when Onyango landed in SA to join SuperSport United from his native Uganda. Mosimane was at the helm at SuperSport at the time and his bromance with then Cranes coach Micho Sredojevic played a key role in securing the services of Onyango.

But as Mosimane left to take up the role of being Bafana Bafana’s assistant coach ahead of the 2010

World Cup in SA, enter

Hunt. Under

Hunt, Super

Sport won the league title for three successive seasons, from 2008-2010. And Onyango was there.

However, during the 2010-11 season, Onyango spent the campaign minding the posts at the now defunct Mpumalanga Black Aces. The season thereafter, Onyango joined the Brazilians and was reunited with Mosimane late in 2012.

But it was not the kind of reunion that reignited his move to SuperSport as Onyango was loaned out to Wits, where he was reunited with Hunt, before returning to Sundowns where he amassed unimaginable success.

“It was fantastic, moving from Pitso to Gavin, then Pitso to Gavin and Gavin to Pitso. I think I’ve been managed by two quality coaches. Yes, crazy, but two quality coaches,” said Onyango, who was speaking at Sundowns’ domestic treble parade in Bedfordview yesterday.

“In football sometimes, you need to be crazy. You can’t play nice all the time. I think this made me stronger as a person. And it showed that football must be played with high intensity at all times and no one is going to do you favours.

“Working with both coaches has really brought out the best in me. And I am really grateful. They have done really well for me and my family all these years and the seasons I’ve been in South Africa.”

Onyango boasts an incredible record of seven PSL titles under his belt, among many other honours in his trophy cabinet. He shares that record with captain Hlompho Kekana and midfielder Anthony Laffor, whom he also played with at SuperSport.