Ol mates cross swords
THEY used to hustle free breakfasts at Qwa Qwa Hotel and they enjoyed having a good time at parties. One is described as naughty and charming, while the other is known for his love of pedicures, cognacs and cigars.
Youth coach Themba Sithole had a good laugh when he shared some of the memories of the late 1980s and early 1990s at Qwa Qwa Stars, where he played with current Bloemfontein Celtic coach Serame Letsoaka and Steve Komphela of Kaizer Chiefs the two men who will face off in the Absa Premiership at Free State Stadium today (3.30pm).
Serame was very naughty off the field and he was a charmer,” Sithole chuckled. On the field he was very intelligent and he was gifted in terms of communication. He could push the team even when things were not going well.
And Steve has always loved himself. He was clean and his shoes had to always be polished. I was surprised to see that now we have grown up he is into cigars, cognac. He was a hard worker and disciplined. The one thing the team got right was to produce very good coaches.”
That was not all Sithole wanted to share, so he went on.
I remember we used to go to Qwa Qwa Hotel and pretend we were booked at the hotel just to have a free breakfast. You just give them a room number and get free breakfast. We share these stories now and laugh when we remember them. We used to have a lot of parties as well and that kept the team spirit high... But on the field we were professional and we enjoyed ourselves.”
Some of the things Letsoaka and Komphela have in common are passion and hard work.
They have worked hard to get to where they are today and a clash between the two masterminds should be interesting.
There s Letsoaka, who is searching for his first win at seventh-placed Celtic, while Komphela just wants his team to stop drawing so many matches and start winning regularly so that they keep up with title-chasing sides Bidvest Wits and Mamelodi Sundowns.
Sithole, currently working in the Ea Lla Koto development structures, feels Letsoaka will win the game and the most Chiefs can get out of the game is, well, a draw. That s not something Amakhosi fans would want to hear.
Steve will come down here with a lot of pressure, but I know he can turn things around for the team. I am sure he has planned very well, but I think Celtic have got a chance to win this one. I give it to them. This will be an exciting game.”
Sithole seems confident Celtic will win, but the hosts will have to improve on their defending to deny Amakhosi. They’ve conceded four goals in Letsoaka’s two matches in charge and captain Bevan Fransman was due to undergo a late fitness test ahead of the clash.
Komphela, meanwhile, must be pleased with the progress young defender Lorenzo Gordinho is making.
Chiefs have not had a solid central defensive pairing since Komphela joined and he will be hoping that the Gordinho-Eric Mathoho partnership will make sure Amakhosi concede less goals.
TODAY S OTHER MATCHES: Jomo Cosmos vs Ajax Cape Town (Olen Park); Platinum Stars vs Free State Stars (Moruleng Stadium), both at 3.30pm.