Manyama’s rise no surprise to mentor
Phiri tips protégé to ‘win all’ at PSL awards
When the Premier Soccer League released the candidates for the PSL awards this week, Maimane Phiri glanced over the nominee list searching for a particular name: Lebogang Manyama.
And that the Cape Town City captain’s name appeared four times did not surprise Phiri – a former Bafana Bafana midfielder – who has been a big influence in Manyama’s career.
“The multiple nominations are part of the objectives we set with Lebo a while ago,” said Phiri, Manyama’s agent, although he prefers to be addressed as the player’s mentor.
Manyama, 26, who is already guaranteed the Absa Premiership top scorer award, thanks to his 13 goals, has also been nominated in the Footballer of the Year‚ Player’s Player of the Season and the Telkom Knockout Player of the Tournament categories.
“In my honest view, he stands a good chance to win them all, but it is up to the judges [to decide],” said Phiri of his Alexandra homeboy. Though Manyama was born in Tembisa he was also raised in Alex.
“I told him that these [nominations] come with pressure because we expect another round of consistency from him.”
Phiri is excited at how a player he almost overlooked has transformed into one of the most sought-after in SA. The two met at FC Alex, a now defunct SAB League club that Phiri formed in 2009.
“He was brought by his friends to the club. He was never a good midfielder he claimed he was at the time. So we changed him into a striker and he scored some fantastic goals.
“Cape Town was just perfect for him, that’s why I insisted that he go back there to be away from the disruptions in Joburg,” said Phiri, the exAjax Cape Town player who facilitated Manyama’s move to the Mother City club in 2010.