‘Ey, football can kill you a real death’

You would swear football people are out to prove former Baroka FC coach Kgoloko Thobejane right every day. The things they do and say in our football can leave you dumbfounded and excited at the same time.

Thobejane is well known in football circles for his statement which, when you first hear it, you think he was just crazy and his English vocabulary let him down.

But when you get past that, you see that it is one of the truest statements that describe the game in the best way possible.

“Ey, football can kill you a real death,” is what Thobejane said after yet another shock result for his beloved Baroka.

He would say these words after a dramatic result, and whether he had won or lost, the words made great sense.

We have seen a lot of coaches and supporters die a real death because of football and its shocking results.

The most recent one was Vusumuzi Vilakazi, the co-coach of Golden Arrows. After yet another defeat last weekend, Vilakazi offered to step down.

He said he and his co-coach Mabhuti Khanyeza would put the club’s interest before their own and if they fail to change its fortunes soon, they would offer to step down.

He said they would go to their boss Mato Madlala and ask her that she find someone else who can save the club if they feel they have failed.

But looking at where the team is in the DStv Premiership standings, this was basically a resignation. From what I have gathered, the club’s management didn’t take kindly to his pronouncements.

And he did what you would think is reserved for politicians. He claimed that we had quoted him out of context.

Vilakazi said he had meant to say they would be open to the idea of stepping down should the club feel they need someone else to take over.

Same thing right? Well, this is football and such things happen. This is why we love it, it is really unpredictable.

Veteran coach Gavin Hunt also had that Thobejane moment this week. Speaking ahead of their Nedbank Cup game against second division minnows Dondol Stars, Hunt said he would not be bothered to analyse them.

“I say this to a lot of coaches, that it is important to concentrate on your own team and try to work with what you have,” Hunt said. “You do however need to know a little bit about the opposition. But don’t focus too much on the analysis of the opposition and rather concentrate on what you have to do,” he added.

But boy oh boy was he not made to eat his words.

Dondol Stars made him eat his words and left him probably wishing the earth would open up and swallow him.

Football killed him a real death. Losing to a team you have taken lightly is one of those things you never wish to go through.

Dondol came from behind to beat SuperSport United 2-1. And it was not just a fluke because they played really well.

The way the ABC Motsepe League side played left some feeling they could be the side that can take Sundowns pound for pound in terms of the display.

And with the Nedbank Cup continuing this weekend, one looks forward to more “real deaths” that could happen over the course of the weekend.