Ted Dumitru: a shining example

DEAR Mr European coach, past, present and future.

Previously many of you made a foray to this territory located at the southern tip of the continent.

Presently there are some of you who are merrily making a living in this country.

Some of you will in future flock to this country to work in the local football scene.

It gives me great pleasure to address this in Afrika month.

The football flag is flying at half mast as we mourn the death of one of the most brilliant and beautiful football brains ever to work here.

The curtain has closed on the 76 years of existence on this earth of one Theodore “Ted” Dumitru.

He was born in Romania and became one of us. One of us because of his progressive outlook on life.

Progressive because he didn’t find fault with how he found Africans playing the game.

Because of its global nature the beautiful game of billions brings about conflicting and contrasting styles which normally create a conundrum.

Too many of you come into the country with the belief that you have to change the “nonsense” you find.

By nonsense you mean your stance against a shibobo here, a tsamaya there or a player showing utter arrogance on the ball with his trickery of silky skills.

It may not work where you come from. But here, people pay hardearned cash to use football as a source of enjoyment.

For many, it is a tool to help them forget about the misery of their measly salary, albeit for a mere 90 minutes.

So, when you come here, instead of appreciating and embracing the latent talent you get exposed to, you feel the unnecessary urge to demand that the players run like unthinking robots.

Why? Because that is how it is done where you come from. Because that is the only way you know. But hey, there are many ways to skin a cat, my friend. Dear old Dumitru showed us. His teams were the most pleasing to watch. Because, in the words of the man responsible for exposing us to Dumitru’s wonderful coaching ways, Kaizer Motaung: “Ted was totally different from some of the coaches that come from abroad who come to South Africa and try to change players and how they play.

“He was always conscious of the fact that Africa and South Africa has its own unique way of playing football. He felt that there was no need to tamper with the talent, and the manner in which the players exploited their skills.”

This is the test most of you fail with distinction. Instead of improvising, you throw tantrums and your toys out of the cot, ridiculing the skill you have no clue how to handle.

This is the test that some of you have passed with flying colours. Muhsin Ertugral comes to mind. Ask Jabu Pule, Stanton Fredericks, Thabo Mooki and other members of the Operation Vat Alles years of glory.

Though he could not tell his elbow from his shoulder with Bafana Bafana, Stuart Baxter showed in his trophy-laden three years at Kaizer Chiefs that he now has the hang of how South African players are wired.

That delightful Dutchman Foppe de Haan worked wonders with an Ajax Cape Town side energised by the exuberance of youth.

Some of you have been recycled so much you’ve coached almost all PSL teams, but silverware? Dololo (zero).

Ted too was recycled. But he distinguished himself as a cut above the riff-raff in that he had the distinguished distinction of scooping tons of silverware at the most demanding teams in the land: at Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns. Take a leaf from the book of Dumitru, European coach past, present and future.

He was conscious of the fact that Africa and SA has its own unique way of playing football