PITSO REMAINS UNPARALLELED, AND SUPERIOR

by Thakasani Khumalo

“You can’t pay Pitso what you pay South African coaches. He’s not competing against South African coaches. He’s competing against coaches on the continent. So you have to go to the bank to ask for overdraft.” Says Mamelodi Sundowns owner Dr Patrice Motsepe, after Pitso Mosimane had signed a four year deal extension.

Although the statement by Motsepe may be discordant to Pitso’s adversary here in South Africa, and candidly stirring some sense of hostility among them. But, Pitso remains, arguably the epicurean of South African football and exorbitantly out of stock that no amount of sum can purchase him; he’s priceless to put it succinctly. Watching SABC’s weekend retro show REMEMBER THEUNFORGETABLE  reminded me of what South African football was all about and Pitso was fondly part of it. Pitso’s career in a nutshell: began his senior career at Jomo Cosmos in 1982-83 season, played for Sundowns in 85, it was much of a reverse-forward career as he went back to Cosmos in 86 only to go back to Sundowns the following 87 season, he’d go on to make his stride at the Buccaneers in 89 season. He also trade his plies in Belgium, Greece, and retired at Al sadd in Qatar.

To be frankly, Jingles as he was tenderly known, may have played for the awe clubs during the days, but his career kicking the ball wasn’t as adoringly fancy as it is in his coaching career. He has defined what a modern coach with a swith ideology looks like and he has worked his way through some impediment. He managed SuperSport United for 6 season and half, winning SAA Supa 8 (now known as MTN 8) in 2004 and the Nedbank Cup the following year. His expertise and experience at coaching is an illustrious one, that can be barely wafted. He served as the care-taker coach for Bafana Bafana in 2007 for seven games before Carlos Alberto Parreira was enacted as head coach, he was then the assistant coach to Parreira and Joel Santana during the 2010 world cup, and was rewarded with the head coach position plus a four years contract extension.

Even, his career as a Manager at the Brazilians, chiefly, has not been snugly restorative as you’d imagine, he finished 9^th in his first season. One of his obnoxiously unpalatable moments as a coach, is having fans calling for your head or better yet calling for you to be sacked at the club, more embarrassingly the club you served as a player. Downs hade been surprisingly beaten1-0 by the Platinum Stars in a semi-final Telkom Knockout contest in 2014, they have endured punitively harsh season. In an aftermath to that defeat “Pitso is failing us. He must go.” One fan said, back then, reported by KickOff , in an almost similar manner, it occurred a year later that some Downs staunch supporter have sought a meeting with the club’s owner Motsepe, this followed after inconsistent results from Sundowns. He has changed that from that moment, from being the club’s nemesis to be the longest serving coach and the most successful in the club’s history.

He also has defined his game; he’s an attack minded coach, and according to Transfer Market Pitso’s preferred formation is 4-4-2 with double 6, this means during the play the formation could alternate between 4-2-3-1 and 4-2-2-2 shape, it may have had some dividends as the Brazilians won 4 league titles in the previous six season, it may have altered in some times and he’d go for 4-3-3 the modern most preferred formation mostly in Europe. The byspel of this might have to be a disastrously deadly famous CBD=(Castro-Billiat-Dolly) this trio particularly played a huge role in 2016 CAF Champions League final win against Zamalek.

Pitso’s suave sophisticated philosophy of playing attacking football has seen him becoming one of the most decorated coaches in South Africa. What can also be taken from him is an desire to always learn from the best. “When you look at Pep, and other successful coaches worldwide- they have won it all and have done it over the years, yet they keep going. I need to learn from them and stay motivated. I look up to Pep, Fergie, Wenger, Ancelotti- they have had massive success and I look up to these people.” Said Pitso, during a press in his contract extension.

Maybe, if there is anyone who believed in Pitso when least people did, it has to be the boss himself Dr Motsepe “I am very proud of Pitso’s achievements at Sundowns and I am confident that Pitso, the technical team and the players will make Sundowns one of the best football clubs on African continent.”

He may have thrusted in so many level and defined the modern game. But what he has achieved remains profound and he indeed himself remains the greatest prospect the South African football fraternity. Cheers to another four years of Pitso.