No thoughts of retirement for 30-something Yeye
THE PSYCHOLOGIST in Wedson Nyirenda would have been working overtime since yesterday and will do so until Saturday.
As he prepares BarokaFC for the Polokwane derby, the Zambian great’s biggest challenge is keeping complacency out of his dressing room.
Unlike City, Baroka have had a fairly good start to the campaign with a win and a draw from their three matches. The 1-1 draw with Kaizer Chiefs on Tuesday night, however, has Nyirenda – a former Amakhosi striker – a little concerned.
“Saturday’s game has to be a new one altogether. We have to face it very differently. Tonight we were playing the glamorous Chiefs and now we are playing Polokwane. We have to manage the players’ mental psyche.”
“The danger we have is that somebody can take this performance and go to sleep saying: ‘I played well (against Chiefs, therefore, it will be easy against the others)’.
“But a champion sleeps.”
It is this kind of attitude that has helped Nyirenda to some great successes as a coach in his native Zambia. His tactical savvy is already evident at Baroka, who are exhibiting an attacking brand of football that suffocates opposition.
“This is the approach that we have. Our playing style is all about putting pressure on our opponents. Even against AmaZulu who beat us, we were pressing, we are not afraid of anyone and we put them under pressure because we need to get the ball quickly and attack.”
Against a Polokwane outfit that loves to play with the ball, Baroka’s approach should make for an entertaining derby.
And while the game is Polokwane’s home encounter, it will be played at the new Peter Mokaba Stadium – Baroka’s official home ground.
Baroka are eager to be invisible at home, Nyirenda said.
“Slowly, we are making Peter Mokaba (Stadium) our fortress. Actually we must name it The Cemetry because everyone who comes here, we have to bury.”
He is excitedly anticipating the derby: “It is always interesting when you play derbies. Polokwane have started slow ... It will be an exciting match because no one wants to be beaten in his own backyard.” WHILE MANY deem Absa Premiership footballers who surpass the age of 30 to be “overage or in the twilight of their careers’’, SuperSport United maestro Reneilwe Letsholonyane is not bothered as long as he continues to perform for his team.
Letsholonyane, turned 36 on June 9 but continues to be one of the most consistent players in top-flight football.
To compound the argument, in the past six years he’s won six domestic titles, including two Premiership crowns, while recently reaching his first Caf Confederations Cup final.
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“We have different opinions as human beings but it’s a fact that we are over 30,” Letsholonyane admitted.
“Unfortunately, the perception in the country is that when you are over 30, you can’t play and blah, blah, blah. But for me it has been like that for years and I don’t think it will ever change. I am the type of player that doesn’t prove anything to anyone; I do my own thing and continue to work hard.
“I cannot change the fact that I am 36 but as long as the management, coaches, my teammates and family can still confide in me doing my job, I am happy.”
By the time the 2018/19 campaign concludes, “Yeye” will be a few weeks from his 37th birthday but the thought of retirement hasn’t entered his mind.
“To put a time-frame on when I’ll retire, it’s a negative attitude towards my career,’’ Letsholonyane insisted at the launch of the Sunfoil Schools League in Soweto on Tuesday.
“I’ll see when the time comes; that is, when my body doesn’t allow me to run anymore.
“But for now, as long I can still do my job properly, get backing from the people around me, and most importantly, believe in myself, I will play for as long as I can.”
Letsholonyane and company are on a revamp season with Matsatsantsa a Pitori after they nearly succumbed to relegation due to a horrific second half of last season and had to depend on a final-day victory to retain their top-flight status.
But with luck on their side through the Tendai Ndoro registration saga, they also sealed a top eight finish a few days later.
The new breath of life gave them a chance to challenge for their second MTN8 trophy in as many seasons, and so far they’ve grabbed the opportunity with both hands considering that they beat Orlando Pirates in the quarterfinals last weekend. Kaizer Chiefs wait for them in the semi-finals on August 25, but before that they have to get past Bidvest Wits in the league at home onSaturday. “It’s a big game again for us, and Wits are a good team,” Letsholonyane said.
“Our preparations for that game have been going well and everyone has been working hard. I am sure that we will be ready to compete, as we hope to win the game on Saturday.”
On facing his former team Chiefs a week after, the midfielder added: “It’s obviously a special moment for me because I’ve played there almost my entire professional career.
“But only one team can make the final and at the end of the day we all need to do our jobs, and mine is to help SuperSport reach the final.”
@Mihlalibaleka