September enjoying his unlikely coaching journey with SuperSport

Thabo September has done well for someone that initially didn’t want to get into coaching after his playing days.

A football legend in his own right, September’s journey took him from his birthplace of Knysna in the Western Cape to East London, where he came to prominence at Umtata Bush Bucks before a big move to the bright lights of Gauteng to join the ambitious SuperSport United in 2006.

As a player, September made history by helping the Tshwane-based team win their first league title a year after he joined. He captained Matsatsantsa to two more Premiership titles, to make it three in a row.
After his retirement in 2016, the former defender wasn’t keen on taking up a role in the dugout and it took club CEO Stan Matthews to twist his arm to joining United’s youth structures, where he started as an assistant coach to Kwanele Kopo, three years after hanging up his boots.

The 40-year-old hasn’t looked back since taking over the reigns as head coach in 2021 and guided the Young Spartans to their first DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) title last month.

“Working with these young players has been great, I remember saying I didn’t think I would become a coach, because I didn’t think I would have the patience for it. But these players make honest mistakes and when they make honest mistakes, then there’s no reason not to be patient.

Bad apples

“But if someone is messing up then you need to get rid of them, and that is something Gavin Hunt taught me, that you need to get rid of bad apples.

“It has been great so far, the journey has just started and I’m enjoying what I’m doing now.

“It has been crazy journey and it has also been demanding. The season before, we finished second and at the beginning of this season the bosses didn’t beat about the bush, they said we must win it (DDC league). So there’s a lot pressure coaching the DDC team.”

Bitten by the coaching bug

The coaching bug seems to have bit hard as the soft-spoken SuperSport legend is clear about his future plans.

“Not in the next five years,” September answered when asked if he has plans to make the step up to senior football.

“I think I need to be patient. Coaching is about patience.”