Pirates have let themselves down this season
His second ‘Legend and friends’ interview, former Orlando Pirates midfield maestro and assistant coach, Tebogo Moloi, sat down with Mamelodi Sundowns’ most successful captain, Hlompho Kekana to talk football and discuss a few players who have caught his a
Tebogo Moloi: Hlompho, thank you so much for making time to do this interview.
Hlompho Kekana: No, I thank you, Bra Tebza, for having me.
TM: We see that your former team, Mamelodi Sundowns, are running away with the league and made sure that you start 2023 on a high note.
HK:
Grootman (Big man), let me just start by saying it is so encouraging to see a team like Sundowns winning matches and giving South Africans a hope that we can still conquer the continent. Looking at the players we have and the talent at our disposal, I believe there’s so much more that our players can still give to better our game and make it more competitive. We really have to see ourselves in the major tournaments as both individual clubs and the national team. Sundowns is doing well and I think that should be a challenge to everyone involved in football to look themselves in the mirror and ask this simple question: What am I contributing to our football? Secondly, are they contributing positively? If not, now is the time to start doing things right and learn from teams like Sundowns. Like I said, we deserve to be among the best teams and national teams. We can’t continue marvelling at countries like Morocco and the North African teams every year, as if we are not capable of doing the same.
TM: We hear some ex-players, supporters and even coaches saying Downs’ success is mainly thanks to the financial muscle that the Motsepe family have injected into the team. What makes Sundowns tick, in your opinion?
HK:
I think the individuals at Sundowns and the responsibilities that they carry is what makes Sundowns tick. Everyone knows that their roles at the club are bigger than themselves, individually and collectively, and once you know that, very little can go wrong. As a player joining Sundowns, you come in and immediately you’re baptised by the winning spirit. You know you’re a good and talented footballer, but you get introduced into a structure that is going to demand a lot from you as well as the winning mentality. Nothing less than excellence will suffice at Sundowns. By the time you walk into the field for Sundowns, you already know the responsibility you carry and the last thing you want is to let people down. There’s a huge weight on that Sundowns jersey because of the pressure that comes with being part of the team. You can say money buys success, but deep down, you will know that’s not true. If money could buy success, Sundowns would have been dominant for almost 20 years now. It is the proper structure in the team that brings you success, not just money. Bra Tebza, I can give you a couple of examples where money couldn’t buy success. PSG has all the money, but have they won the Champions League? They’ve been flattering to deceive and we always think their time is now, despite all the talent they have, only to continue failing.
TM: Sure. HK:
They boast some of the best players in the world, who are on huge salaries, yet they go on to lose to teams that have far less quality than them. Juventus have loads of money. They buy and sell players whenever they can. Manchester United, Manchester City and a number of other big teams with deep pockets have not reached the level of dominating the Champions League and if money buys you success, why has it not done so for them? That tells you, you can have money, but if the coaching, the structure, the former players, scouting, management, technical team and everyone else just rely on money, you’re not going to get the results. Don’t tell me big institutions like Sundowns, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs don’t have money. That’s not true because we are talking about big teams with big sponsors here. Look at these teams’ jersey and see the number of sponsors they have. They can buy any player, but they need to get proper structures to get things right so that everything is channelled in the right direction for that team to succeed on the field of play. There’s more than money, applying yourself and running on the field that bring you success. It is the individuals that carry their responsibilities within the team.
TM: What are you up to since you retired from the game?
HK:
I played the game at professional level for 19 years and that’s a very long time in this game. So, my life has been programmed on football and I know no other life than that of a footballer. The day I decided to hang up my boots was so challenging because, like I said, that’s the only life I knew. The decision came after thinking I would be turning 40 and therefore need to tap into a different lifestyle, a new one at that. Now I’m at a stage where I do things on my own, instead of teamwork in football, and that’s a big challenge. Everything I’ve won was different and ticked the boxes, so the real life starts now for me. I had to prepare myself for life after football and that’s why I had to take my time. I started doing coaching courses because I want to learn more about the game because it evolves all the time. People will be surprised to learn that after 19 years of professional football, I don’t know much about football and that’s a fact because playing football and coaching it are two different things. This game changes daily and that’s why it is important to equip yourself. Now that I’m doing television analysis, I need coaching badges to complement my experience on the field.
TM: You are one of the few players to master the art of striking the ball.
HK:
I think it came from watching legends on television. I can mention Dumisa Ngobe, Eric Tinkler, Ernest Mtawali, Naughty Mokoena, Tsepo Ntsoane and many others who packed a mean shot. The late Philemon Masinga scored that cracker that took us to France 1998 World Cup. As a kid, I was fascinated by individuals who could score from a distance and I started practising it as well. My first long-range goal in an official match I scored when I was 12! Back in my village, we were playing U12 primary school tournament and I scored from the centre-line, Bra Tebza! After the match, the teachers were arguing about my age, with the opponents claiming I was an age-cheat, ha, ha, ha, because they’d never seen anything like that. If you check the goal I scored at Orlando Stadium (against Wayne Sandilands), it is like a mirror of the goal I am talking about. I did the same thing when I was 15 playing for my High School and my female school teacher who had been on my case about playing football fainted from excitement because she’d never seen anything like that and she was also not your typical football person.
TM: Such an interesting story! HK:
As a player, you need to be detailed about the game. In my whole career, my game was shaped by footballers I used to follow when I was a kid. I saw how they applied themselves in different positions and I took that from them. I always copied the good things they were doing and kept them in my back pocket. I never wanted to be rigid in my game, which is why I took good things from different people so that I could be flexible. That way, I was ready to deliver in whatever position I was asked to play in and I think that’s very important for any footballer to keep in mind. I was able to deliver on every position’s demands because I was equipped enough. You’ve got to be able to adapt and that will set you apart from everyone else. I played at SuperSport United as a centre-back, a right back, central midfielder, half striker, I played for Sundowns as a six, for Bloemfontein Celtic as a 10 and an eight and at Black Leopards as a centre-back and a striker. So, you have to watch a lot of football and learn from players in different positions.
TM: Any players who’ve caught your eye so far?
HK:
Teboho Mokoena at Sundowns has been a marvel to watch. Siphesihle Ndlovu has been doing well since joining SuperSport; the same goes for Grant Margeman and Thapelo Maseko. Siphesihle Mkhize and Brooklyn Poggenpoel have a bright future at Chippa United, they can only get better. Cape Town City’s Brice Ambina has been impressive in his first season. Marcello Allende and Cassius Mailula at Sundowns are topclass. Samkelo Zwane and Mduduzi Shabalala at Chiefs… I hope they continue working hard on their game. There’s Goodman Mosele at Pirates. Thabang Monare, Ben Motshwari, Kabelo Dlamini, Vincent Pule and Monnapule Saleng are all top players but not consistent enough to control games. Pirates have let themselves down this season and that’s so disappointing because we thought they’d have a better season, but they went on to lose games we thought they’d win! You beat Sundowns convincingly and then you lose your next game to Sekhukhune United – no disrespect to Sekhukhune, but to me it means lack of consistency for a big team.
TM: Gonzalez, thanks for your time.
HK: You’re welcome, legend.
promotion/relegation play-offs. From African All Stars to TTM and then Sekhukhune, who are now in the DStv Premiership, did you expect the progress to be this quick?
JM:
I’d be lying if I say we did. The reason I’m saying this is because we had a bigger plan, and like I said, God’s timing is always the best, and God knows why it happened so fast. If I can go back and tell you how it all happened at African All Stars, Mhlekazi (Sir), that’s where I learnt about the dynamics. There, we made a lot of mistakes. African All Stars was an amateur club and when we went a step up to the second tier of South African football, we had to professionalise everything. I won’t say it was through my own doing alone because I’m surrounded by people with the knowhow. The success is not based only on me, but it is from the guidance of the chairman as well and my colleagues. And, yeah, we are here even today.
MQ: Has everything happened the way you anticipated in the elite league since the team’s promotion almost two years ago?
JM:
I wouldn’t say things happened the way I anticipated them to be, but I have to admit that coming from the second tier and it had been our first season in that league, we made a lot of mistakes along the way, but it was good that we learnt from them. We had a good first round in our first season in the PSL (DStv Premiership), but in the second round the wheels started to come off. But at the same time, I’m grateful for those setbacks because it was a learning curve. Coming into the second season… because the second season is the most difficult, that’s why we decided to overhaul the squad, because we anticipated something like this (slow start to the campaign). Unfortunately, things still didn’t work out the way we expected. Now, we are in the second round of the season and so far, so good.
MQ: How does it feel when you are being so hands-on and supportive to the team and signing the best possible players available but still get disappointing results at times?
JM:
I really enjoy being in the fast lane. It was a nice challenge. (Takes a deep breath and pauses) With regards to our previous coach (Kaitano Tembo) … our previous coach is a good coach, very knowledgeable man, tactically sound and a good-hearted man. It’s just that sometimes… I think our timing was not good. Unfortunately, within the space of football it’s all about the results, do you understand what I’m saying? But the guy is totally professional, and he was just unlucky.
MQ: Going back to the CAS matter, what was it like to be involved in such a serious case, which could have gone either way and how confident were you about the outcome? JM:
We always believed that we had a strong case, but at the same time it was frustrating. It was so frustrating in the sense that it messed our plans. We didn’t know whether we were going left or right, even though we were confident. The thing is when a matter is before the court of law, anything is possible, even if you are confident about having a strong case. For example, with most of the players we had targeted, it was difficult to negotiate. Every time we tried to contact the players, they would be reluctant to come because they didn’t know whether we were an NFD or topflight team. That’s why we ended up just signing anyone, and as a result, we made a lot of mistakes. In a nutshell, and I don’t want to lie to you, it messed with our plans. We ended up having to release some of the players and it messed up with our resources, but we are grateful for that episode because we learnt so many things.
MQ: Babina Noko have caught most clubs in the league by surprise in how you’ve managed to compete in the transfer market. A case in point is the recent signing of Kamohelo Mokotjo, who was reportedly also on the radar of Kaizer Chiefs, among other clubs. How did you pull off that marquee signing?
JM:
I’m not sure how to answer this one because I don’t want to be the one blowing our own horn. You know, people are not stupid, and in one way or the other, you will get rewarded. We have been trying. As you can see, I am not a media kind of a person because I believe that football supporters or fans come to the stadiums not to see a CEO or the chairman, but they pay their hardearned money to be entertained, do you understand what I’m saying?
MQ: Spot on. JM:
That’s why I try by all means not to be involved. I prefer to take the backseat because if the team does well, there’s nothing I can say. Going back to your question, I was going through the Soccer Laduma website the other day and I read that the boy was available. I called his agent Basia Michaels and I asked, “Basia, what’s happening with the boy?” Basia said, “Make an offer.” I didn’t buy the player because he was a free agent – I made an offer and that was it. The agent came back to say the boy is excited and he really loves our project and he wants to be associated with it. Then they came here, and we didn’t really take too long and we were done.
MQ: Major coup, congrats. Moving on, how was Brandon Truter chosen as Tembo’s successor?
JM:
We conducted interviews and Brandon is one of the coaches that came for an interview, but I won’t mention the other coaches that came for interviews. Brandon made his presentation and the board was impressed. The team was at the bottom of the log and in his presentation, he came with the solutions. The board was so happy in how he presented the way to get the team out of that situation, while the other people (interviewees) came with their credentials. The difference between them and Brandon was that this one came with the solutions and that got the board blown away. We were in a bad position when he found us. I remember when he joined Swallows FC in the NFD, the team was in the bottom half of the league and he guided the team up and eventually to promotion. In their first season in the PSL, they did very well and in the second season, I don’t know what happened. He then went to AmaZulu FC and found the team in the middle of the log (ninth), and he guided them to finish in the Top Eight. In my view, when he left AmaZulu, the team was still doing well. When I called his agent to ask if the gentleman can come for an interview, he did come and came up with the solution and that’s what brought him here. He has overachieved.
MQ: What is the coach’s mandate? JM: The mandate is clear, we are aiming for a top-four finish.
“I don’t want to be the one blowing our own horn.”
“I was going through the Soccer Laduma website the other day and I read that…”
MQ: How have you found the support to be from the people of Sekhukhune and the rest of Limpopo?
JM:
We are happy with the response and it’s been impressive. From game number one and onwards, we have noted with pride how the support has been growing and growing. People are excited. This team is not just an ordinary team, it is the pride of Limpopo. Sekhukhune United is the pride of Limpopo.
MQ: So, any plans to grow the Sekhukhune United brand further?
JM:
Our aim is to play in the Champions League. We are fully aware of the fact that when you play in the Champions League, you need to have a women’s team. As I am talking to you, that is what we are contemplating – forming a women’s team. We are planning to have a team in the Hollywoodbets Super League. That’s the space we are planning to invade with the aim of going to Africa because we want to gain experience. That’s something that needs to be done as soon as yesterday. Ladies’ football is growing in Africa and we want to be part of it.
MQ: On that note, CEO, thank you for your time and may all the objectives you harbour for your ambitious club come to fruition.
JM: You are welcome, my brother.