Polokwane City head coach Phuti Mohafe offered a mixture of pride and frustration as he watched his former player, Oswin Appollis, deliver a Man of the Match performance for Orlando Pirates in their 2-0 MTN8 quarter-final victory over Rise and Shine.
Read: All 16 Confirmed Top Flight Coaches
Appollis, who played under Mohafe at Polokwane City, was instrumental in breaking the deadlock at Orlando Stadium on Saturday, with a clever attacking run that carved open the defence and led to his goal.
For Mohafe, it was a moment of bittersweet déjà vu.
“No, man, that shows that I taught him well,” Mohafe said with a smile during the post-match press conference.
“He took that to Pirates, and the coach that is coaching him now has sharpened him.”
Mohafe admitted that the movement that led to the goal was a pattern they used to drill repeatedly during training sessions at Polokwane City.
“That movement is a drilling movement that we've been doing, and we know that the moment you get that ball, you must not give him the space inside,” he added. “Unfortunately, the guy who was supposed to close that gap, he went to slumberland a little bit. So, he caught us.”
Despite the disappointment of conceding, the coach had nothing but admiration for the 22-year-old attacker, whose growth since leaving Polokwane has been evident.
“I think the Appollis that I saw today is another Appollis in terms of movement ability and playing ability,” he concluded.
“The guy is improving, and I hope that he can continue to do so going forward.”
Read: Professor's Chiefs Stint Comes To An End
