Sundowns coaches are pissing against the wind and it will not end well
Before you read this, I'd suggest you go to Google the lyrics to Tshepo Tshola's song titled 'Kithi-Githi'. It will help you to easily understand the point I am trying to make here.
Steve Komphela, Rulani Mokwena and Manqoba Mnqgithi during the MTN8 quarter final between Mamelodi Sundowns and Bloemfontein Celtic at the Moripe Stadium.(Photo by Samuel Shivambu/ Backpagepix/ Gallo Images)
The point is: I don’t see this coaching system that Mamelodi Sundowns have employed working out well.
Let me go start at the bottom of this. If you’ve played football in the township or in the rural areas you will remember this happening to you or your teammate.
When I was young, there is a team I played for. The games would be on Sunday afternoons. One fine Sunday while we were in a game and it was a good day because we were leading 2-0 for a change (yes, we were the worst team in the area). With us leading many of the fans were surprised and most of them got behind us, urging us on.
We were all enjoying the game when suddenly Slwane (real name Sandile, will not give surname because he doesn’t know I am making him here) threw a tantrum and wanted to be substituted. He played what back then we called No. 2 and is now called right back.
We didn’t have any players to come on as we were a struggling side, much like Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila. We went to him to hear why he was so irritated when we were winning something that rarely occurred.
“I can’t stand it anymore. I would rather go out, that uncle there keeps telling me to push up and help in attack but you all know I don’t have the speed to track back when they come attacking and I would rather sit back and wait,” he said visibly fuming.
The ‘uncle’ was one of the fans who had decided to become our coach which is something that happens all the time at amateur level. You have someone telling you to stay up and wait for the ball – I was a typical
No. 9 by the way – while someone else will shout that you must come back and collect the ball.
It was sometimes very confusing because the very same person who told you to go collect would blame you when the ball was sent up and you were not there to attack asking why you are marking when you should be waiting for the ball.
It is the same thing I saw happening at Sundowns at the weekend. I don’t doubt any of the three coaches’ abilities and prowess, but they had only worked together a week and their thinking surely can’t be that well synced that they can each coach their small group and it is coordinated.
For me, that is just a recipe for disaster. But I am a man who enjoys his humble pie and I hope they put it down my throat hot.
But what they are doing is pissing against the wind, it never ends well. If you Googled the lyrics to that song like I said this will make so much sense.
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