Coach hopes to be a ‘beautiful wife’
Kjell who? This, it is safe to say, was the general sentiment as new Orlando Pirates head coach Kjell Jonevret was introduced to the media at Rand Stadium yesterday.
Buccaneers chairman Irvin Khoza certainly got one over the press with this announcement – I didn’t see one single person speculating in the past week or so that this well-dressed Swede would be the new man in charge at the Buccaneers. Then again, when you pick a name as obscure as Jonevret’s, the chances are increased that no one is going to be able to jump the gun on you.
You could see the journalists present side-eyeing each other as Jonevret’s name was read out, desperately trying not to reveal a lack of knowledge, but at the same time having not a clue as to who was in front of them. Towards the end of the press conference one asked the man himself how to pronounce his name – Kjell is “a bit like the oil company (Shell)”. And as for the surname – “My father was named Johansson and in Scandinavia half the people there are called Johannsson, don’t ask me how he found that name (Jonevret). It is hard for the people of Sweden to pronounce!”
The new Pirates coach certainly has a sense of humour, and he may need it if he is to lift this under-achieving side out of the doldrums. Buccaneers fans may be underwhelmed at the appointment of a man this obscure, meanwhile, but they would do well to give him a chance.
This announcement does have echoes of Stuart Baxter’s appointment as Bafana Bafana coach in 2004. If my memory serves me right, one newspaper even ran the headline “Stuart Who?” and used the word “palooka” to describe a man unknown, it is safe to say to the South African public. Baxter went on to do a decent enough job as Bafana coach, and an even better job as Kaizer Chiefs and SuperSport United coach, so much so that there are those who would like to see him back in the national team hot-seat.
Jonevret certainly talked a good game, too, in his Bucs introduction. As Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza talked of an “arranged marriage, you hope for the best”, the Swede responded by saying he hoped he could be a “beautiful wife”.
He admitted he had not coached in South Africa before but spoke of a knowledge of African players in Sweden – “people say I am good at working with them”.
His philosophy seems clear, to sort out a wobbly Pirates defence, while not compromising the side as an attacking force. He also appeared to immediately recognise the importance of the Soweto derby, which will be his second game in charge of the Buccaneers.
“Hopefully we can be successful, if not in the first week, then in the second week, because we have Kaizer Chiefs in the second week, so we don’t have much time.”
Either way, whether it ends in failure or glory, this latest Pirates era should be fascinating to watch. Of course this week was not all about Pirates, it was also about Mamelodi Sundowns, and they must get a hearty congratulations for lifting yet another piece of silverware in the form of the Caf Super Cup. Look out inside for our One-on-One with rightback Thapelo Morena. He could well be one of the men to help propel Sundowns to even greater heights in 2017, though it will take some going to match the miracle of last year.