SuperSport United can count themselves as one of the clubs with a reputation to reciprocate the years of loyalty some of those who have worn their jersey over a consistent period of time have shown to the club. Thabo September, Andre Arendse and Grant Johnson are but a few examples. Though a surprise addition, the latest is Jabu Maluleke, who won the league with the club over a decade ago. When coach Gavin Hunt asked the management to 'jump' at the opportunity to bring the former dead-ball specialist on board, they did not even ask 'how high?', with the two having also worked together at Black Leopards. 'Mavotja', as the recently retired star is affectionately called, has been appointed U19 coach as well as to assist with set-piece training in the senior side. In this interview, Soccer Laduma's Tshepang Mailwane speaks to Maluleke about how he landed the role at the club, why he never joined Orlando Pirates despite persistent rumours of such a switch, and more…
Tshepang Mailwane: You are currently working as a coach at SuperSport United, but never announced your retirement, did you?
Jabulani Maluleke: I was actually just waiting for the right moment to announce it. I felt that I should wait a bit and see what was happening. It's not easy to retire from what you love doing the most. You just need to take a break and think about yourself and your next move. After all, you're leaving something that you love the most. It's such a painful thing to do in life, but I had to accept that times like these do come in football, even though it's hard to accept.
TM: What did you find difficult to get used to once you stopped playing?
JM: You are used to waking up in the morning and going to training, to camps and to play matches. You've done that for almost every day of your life and now it has to stop. I think that's what scares us as footballers. We go through difficult times when football stops. But for me, I could see it coming because you can feel it in your body and age-wise, I feel that I had hit my target. The body tells you that it's time to call it quits. There are things you can't ignore. Things were okay, but I could see that it was time.
TM: How do players get helped to prepare for life after football?
JM: It does affect you mentally, so you just have to try to prepare yourself mentally and physically. I think there are some things that we need to learn to accept. You need to accept that you've run your race and you enjoyed it. If you don't accept it, you are going to live with it for the rest of your life and it will keep eating you (up).
TM: What plan did you have in place for when you finally retired?
LM: My plan was that when I retired, I wanted to do something that involved football. I did not want to leave football, you understand? I wanted to do my coaching badges and then see what comes. You know, some things you just need to thank God and the blessings He has given you in life. I was just fortunate and lucky that things happened the way I wanted them to happen.
TM: What coaching courses have you done?
LM: I'm just starting now as we speak. I am doing my D Licence. After that, there will be the next one and the next one. We learn every day in football.
TM: Talk to us about how you got to land a job at Matsatsantsa.
LM: It's a long story, but I will make it short. It's the good relationship I have with coach Gavin Hunt from way back. He asked me if I could join the team and I was willing and happy to do so. He first asked me if I have retired and I told him that I have. He spoke to the chairman of the club (Khulu Sibiya) and everything went well, and I was happy to rejoin the Matsatsantsa family and be part of the history.
TM: What exactly is your role at the club?
JM: Let me put it (in) simple (terms). I am coaching the U19s in the development side and I am helping the first team as well with set-pieces. It's a new environment for me. It's a new chapter that I've just started and I'm learning. I'm enjoying it and I do get advice from coaches in the team, to grow as a person. It's something that I love doing. You know when you love doing something, you fall in love with it. The coach always says if you treat football with respect, you will get the rewards at the end of the day.
TM: Do you get a sense of how important your job as an U19 coach is, as it's probably the final phase of development before they go professional?
JM: It is a challenge to work with youngsters. My role is to develop players for the DDC (DStv Diski Challenge) and those going to the first team. But the coaches who are in the development structure are helping me to get through it. With their help and (that of) the senior coaches, it makes it easier for me to adapt because dealing with kids needs you to have more patience. Remember, you are dealing with kids who come from different backgrounds and you should know how to manage them as a coach. So, I am learning, and I understand that it will be a long-term process, but I'm willing to put in the work and I believe I can do the job and produce the next generation of stars for the team. I'm in a good space, and they (the players) respond well. I just wish everything goes well for me going forward.
TM: Have you established a coaching style yet, or too early to tell?
JM: At SuperSport, the structure is the same. What the first team coach does, we should apply it to the kids so that when we promote the players from the development to the first team, they should adapt easier because what we do in the development is what they do in the first team. That's why I'm always at the training ground of the first team, taking advice and learning from the coach on how the team plays. It creates a proper system. But I will apply a few things of my own here and there, dealing with the confidence of the players. I'll focus on technique.
TM: You worked under a number of coaches during your playing career. What do you take out from working with them that you can maybe apply to your coaching now?
JM: As a footballer, you adapt to different systems. I was at Polokwane City and we played a different formation. I was at (Black) Leopards, Dynamos, SuperSport and Sekhukhune (United) and I was coached by different coaches, and I would like to thank them for everything they've contributed in my life. Without them, I don't think I would be where I am today. As a footballer, you adapt to the systems. For example, I joined SuperSport as a number 10 coming from Leopards. When I got to SuperSport, it was a different ball game. Gavin came to me and said, "For me, you are not a central midfielder, you are a winger." I was like, "What is he saying?" But as time went on, I was able to adapt. That's why I say that as a player, you need to be versatile and adapt to the system of the team and the coach.
TM: Tell us, what do you think of the players coming up these days in terms of mentality and hunger for the game? Is it the same as when you were playing?
LM: With the kids that I'm coaching, those are some of the things I need to create and instill in them and make them realise that this is football. You need to have the discipline, the dedication and desire in what you do, for you to play for longer in your career. If you can instill that into their heads and into the system, I think it will click. These days in football, I feel the standard has dropped a bit. I just hope that, as time goes, we can get back to where it was before where there was hunger and desire and the fighting spirit.
TM: What vision do you have for your coaching career?
JM: For now, I want to produce young players for the first team, then I can take it from there. If I can produce three or five players for the first team, then I will be happy. It will be good to see players having that growth. I would be the happiest man to see one of the players I coached going as far as playing for the first team and even the national team.
TM: With regards to your playing journey, are you satisfied with how it went?
JM: I'm more than happy and grateful. I want to thank God for the opportunity He gave me to showcase my talent because there are many who don't get that opportunity. I don't regret a single day because I enjoyed my stay at each and every team I played for.
TM: You were sometimes linked with the big clubs, especially Orlando Pirates. Do you ever wish you had made a move there?
JM: For me, I had a different view. There were bigger teams, which I cannot name, that were asking for my signature, but I went to SuperSport, who had just won the league and the coach was really interested in me. I felt that's where I was more welcomed, and I think I took the right path to join SuperSport.
TM: Even during your Polokwane City days, the Bucs rumours persisted.
JM: There were teams that came, but I was happy there until my contract ended and I had to move. For me, it was all about achieving my goals from when I was a teenager. Firstly, I wanted to win the league and I did that with SuperSport. It happened the way I wanted. I wanted to play in Africa and I managed to do that, and I scored the best goal against Al Ahly, against the best goalkeeper in Africa (Essam El-Hadary). It will stick in my memory for long.
TM: And Bafana Bafana? You didn't get an opportunity, despite being consistent…
JM: I got three call-ups when Pitso (Mosimane) was there with the Brazilian coach, but I did not play. I was on the bench. That's how life is. You will win some and lose some. You don't have to regret.
TM: Lastly, you used to play in a time where players such as Brett Evans, Daine Klate and Dillon Sheppard were deadly on set-pieces. Now, as a set-piece coach, what do think of the current standard in the PSL?
JM: In my time, we had a lot of guys who were great at set-pieces, the likes of Teko (Modise), Daine; even Frank Makua was good with freekicks. These days, I don't think it's practiced enough. We wait for the game to come. If you don't practice something often, you won't get results. You are basically just wishing for luck. In our days, we used to stay behind and do freekicks. Most of my goals came through freekicks. We stayed behind after training to do freekicks and it worked for me.
TM: Do you see any improvements in that department at SuperSport since you came in?
JM: Yes, a lot. I see improvement and I'm happy for the boys for taking that initiative to learn. When you look at how SuperSport won the league years ago, most of the goals were from set-pieces.
TM: Well, 'Bend it like Jabu' has a nice ring to it! Keep well.
JM: Thank you.
