Coaches I’ve worked with: Thanks so much, Bro Abe!

Let me tell you about Bro Abe Matsheng, who was my first coach at Kaizer Chiefs when I was 13 years old. Youngsters look at their coach as a father figure as well, so Bro Abe used to take great care of us all. Sometimes he would take me

to breakfast at either a restaurant or a hotel and we’d be talking football and that was his way of ensuring that I remained focused. This is a man who played such an important role in my career and I would be failing if I didn’t acknowledge or thank him publicly. To this day, he remains my coach and a father figure who will always call to let me know when I’m doing well. He would do the same whenever there’s something he doesn’t like and, as much as I don’t have my biological father anymore – may his soul rest in peace – these are the kinds of people who are playing that fatherly role in my life. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for such people and Bro Abe instilled discipline in me and my teammates from a very young age. Thanks so much, Bro Abe, for everything you’ve done for me! You were the first one to polish this raw diamond and helped to turn it into something magical. It is only proper that I thank and celebrate you while you’re still alive.