Three-time Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League-winning coach Pitso Mosimane believes SA should follow what the world is doing and teach young players the correct basics to turn them into world-class footballers.
“It’s like academics. How will a learner advance to Grade Two if he doesn’t understand shapes, sizes, and the alphabet in Grade One? Football has to be like that. Those are the things we are missing in SA. We need to do them right,” Mosimane said during his visit to the Curro Academy Parkdene for his Pitso Mosimane Soccer Schools (PMSS) programme.
Though Mosimane lauded the abundance of talent in the country, he believes young footballers are not developed correctly, which is why most lack basics like mastering the ball and getting their technique right.
“You must understand the U5s train differently from the U9s and the U9s train differently from the U13s. That is age-specific training. SA has to follow those principles from an early age to produce quality players.”
The coach, who won the CAF Champions League with Mamelodi Sundowns and Egyptian giants Al Ahly, sported a huge smile while watching the youngsters battle in the Curro Parkdene U13 tournament.
“I’m a football person. I like seeing children playing, learning, getting disappointed by losing and happy about winning. It’s part of character building. Children must learn to lose and win. They must know they have to work hard to win to enjoy the benefits.”
He encouraged young footballers in Boksburg to look up to former Bafana Bafana and Kaizer Chiefs striker Bernard Parker from Reiger Park and former Sundowns and Orlando Pirates goalie Wayne Sandilands from Benoni.
“Ekurhuleni has produced good footballers like Bernard Parker and Wayne Sandilands. They played overseas and for Bafana Bafana. That’s the story to tell the children that they could end up playing for Pirates and Sundowns and win the Champions League like Wayne. Or they can end up playing in Holland like Bernard.”
Development
Through the PMSS, the former Bafana Bafana coach explained that their goal is to cover the cracks in football development in the country.
“Our programme is about helping schools with mass participation, where we deal with basic movement skills, general movements and ensuring children are involved in physical education. We mix that with social and life skills and teach them about teamwork and respect for opponents and elders. We also touch on nutrition,” he said.
Mosimane added that the programme also includes helping teams within the schools with age-related programmes to get them ready for matches.
Furthermore, they also develop the players to play football correctly, which he explained as focusing on age-related and age-specific training.
“Playing age-specific football is when you have the U7s, for example. You can’t train them the same you would senior footballers or those in the intermediate and advanced phases.
“From the U5s to U7s, it’s about two against two on a small pitch and small goals. We must also ensure the matches are fun and not about winning or scoring. The children must be happy to be playing.
“The training also has to be fun and educational. You can’t say children must score and win. It’s too early. It’s important to teach them to master the ball, feel and juggle it. The minute you go into the U15s and U17s, it’s about tactics. Those ones learn to play to win.”
The multiple PSL winner emphasised the importance of allowing junior players to have fun, saying coaches must teach parents that it’s about development and not winning at all costs.
“The parents must allow the children to have fun, master the game and get their technique right. You can’t demand that a child win or score a goal when he doesn’t have the technique to do that. It’s like expecting a child to read when you haven’t taught them the ABCs,” Mosimane said.
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