Let me congratulate the DStv Premiership end-of-season award winners who were recently recognised for their respective sterling performances. It is great to see people being rewarded for a good job and it should be every player or manager's dream to see themselves ascending the podium to accept the awards for both the club and individually. May they continue with their good form in the new season, but for now, put your feet up and enjoy the off-season to recharge your batteries. We want to see more or even better of what we saw this past campaign next time we see you. That's the only way we can keep improving our game. Let me also congratulate Orlando Pirates on their Nedbank Cup victory, which means they've won two trophies after the MTN8 earlier in the season, and finishing second on the log.
Doc Answers Your Questions…
Please don't forget to send your questions to editor@soccerladuma.co.za for now, until further notice.
Mthuthuzeli Magqashela from Gqeberha wants to know how my relationship as a Kaizer Chiefs legend is with the club. He also wants to know if I would be willing to serve the club in any way, if an opportunity availed itself.
Look, Mthuthuzeli, everyone knows about the relationship I, together with my family, share with everyone at Chiefs. I've even spoken at length about it in this column and nothing has changed, we will forever remain one. As for serving the club, I think I have also answered that one as well because of the love and passion I have for the club and my answer to your first question.
Gavin Ryan wants to know if I am pleased by the individual PSL accolades.
I believe we have to respect the judges' decision, as, like the refs', they are final. Awards, just like football, is a game of opinions and we will never see things the same way all the time.
Being Doc
There's always a temptation to revenge when you get hurt and I don't think that's the way to go. I believe everything happens for a reason. If it is good, cherish it and move on; if it is bad, learn from it and move on. I'm saying this because negative situations turn people into things they are not. They waste their energy.
Coaches I Worked With: I Don't Want To Lie
One of the young coaches who have proven themselves everywhere they've been, no matter the team they coach, and I'm talking about Lehlohonolo Seema. The man who hails from the other side of our borders, Lesotho, and was introduced to us by Bloemfontein Celtic. That's when I actually got to know about this then young midfielder, who always showed commitment to his craft. He went on to play for Pirates, and what an amazing human being he is! Being the team and national team captain, that can only mean one thing – leadership! This man has coached pretty much every team he has played for and that speaks volumes about who he is. He did well at Celtic, which is why Pirates saw the need to bring him on board and he didn't disappoint. It came as no surprise to me when he decided to pursue a coaching career because, at the end of the day, the next thing from being a captain is being a coach. I could relate to his coaching journey, transitioning from playing, and this is someone I believe if given an opportunity to do what he does best, can achieve great things. Seema is someone I feel deserves to have full control of his team, to bring in and release players he wants to without anyone's interference, so that he can show people what he is capable of. This is one of the young coaches I believe have a bright future because he's multidimensional in his approach. Fortunately, I've had an opportunity to interact with him as both a player and coach, and I must say the respect he shows to me is out of this world! We discuss the game and even past games, to see strengths and weaknesses from now and back then. He's a very, very knowledgeable coach and don't let his humility fool you. He is so strategic and evolves with the game. This is not your stagnant or pragmatic coach and I know this because he's up to speed with the modern trends. Like any young coach, the man has been through a lot in his young career, but I can see a bright light at the end of the tunnel. If only he can be given the resources and the much-needed support, Seema will become one of the best coaches we've ever had in the county. You look at how he has managed the situation when he's been let go, roped in and dismissed again — he shows a lot of maturity and professionalism. You will never see him hanging the dirty laundry in public, which shows a great deal of leadership. He understands that things don't always work out for you and that you need strong character if you want to go into coaching. I don't think I would have taken some of the things he took and handled so well, I don't want to lie. The least said about the negative, the better. Let me just focus on what this column is all about, celebrating our coaches. This is a good, young and talented coach from whom I have learned a lot, during our interactions. We treat each other as brothers, even though he calls me Grootman, and this is someone I've never, not even once, heard call me by my name. It humbles me to receive such respect from a character like him because it means there's something I'm doing right. Believe it or not, that's exactly how I feel about him and if anything were to happen to Seema, God forbid, I would probably be the first to raise my hand to be there for him. I just want to tell him: Hloni, you've been around and know the ups and downs of this game. Your character has seen you this far and you've always showed integrity by how you've always handled your business. Don't ever change that! Yes, coaches are hired and fired, but we all know it is not always justifiable. However, we do and control what we can. There are no shortcuts in football because it is a process. You need someone with a vision in order to meet your objectives. Where I am seated, I know what vision and objectives this young man has for any team he takes charge of. Why is it so difficult for other people to comprehend them? Why are they all about the bottom line? I know how hard Seema works, but I wish he never changes because of the circumstances he finds himself in. I also hope there will be a team that will give him an opportunity not just to throw him under the bus but to show what he can do. This is a man for the future, for any team for that matter! I have seen what he's capable of and what you've observed is just glimpses, trust me. The game needs you and I wish you all the best, coach Hloni.
Doc's Memory Bank: Some Legends Were Fuming…
Last year, we went to play a legends' friendly game against our counterparts from Eswatini. This was the first time I was on the field, in the same team, with Seema. We had the likes of Tico-Tico Bucuane, Lucky Lekgwathi, Cyril Nzama, Asamoah Gyan and Williams Okpara, to mention just a few, and we had a really good combination and I thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, we all had a time of our lives reminiscing about the good old days, even though things didn't turn out the way we had expected. We ended up being in a situation which I've been quiet about for a while now. Whoever organised that game, whoever was involved in whatever capacity, and asked us to go there, we won't fight you, nor will we argue with you. However, we will leave everything to God because you made fools of ourselves! Seema was one of the guys that were instrumental in calming the situation down so that we honoured the invitation and delivered on our side of the bargain even though we were disappointed by the organisers. Ultimately, we went to Eswatini to play for nothing, as we were not paid the money we were promised and agreed upon. What a special moment it was to be in the same team with Seema, although it ended on a sour note as we didn't get our money. You ask yourself, if people can organise a game of that magnitude and disrespect the legends of the continent, what do you think they are doing to their own current players? How can they expect to succeed when they do such things to some people? This is something I will address some other day, so it must not spoil my plan to shower Seema with praises, giving him his flowers while he can still smell them. I'm just mentioning this incident just to illustrate how calm Seema was in handling the situation, while some legends were fuming and even refusing to play. Thanks to Seema and other guys, we still went on to play for the supporters even though we were so disappointed and felt disrespected. Only God knows why these guys did what they did to us and I'm not going to mention any names, for now.
Doc's Friend Zone
Let me continue with Seema because there's so much I can say about this brother. Like I said, things happen for a reason and for Hloni to have been where he is, and then become a friend and a brother to me, it all happened for a reason. I may not know why our paths crossed the way they did, just as I don't know why some of my best friends are people I never even shared a change room with, as we were always on opposite ends of the field, yet we somehow created a strong bond. I always tell people I am blessed to have made so many good friends in my life, even away from the teams I played for. It is not every day that you become a friend and a brother with someone you've known, on a personal level, for a short of time. That's what happened with me and Seema. We all know how long it takes to build trust before you can befriend someone, but we just hit it off in a short space of time. Yes, we knew each other and interacted on a personal level but not to the extent of being friends or sharing brotherhood. That's because of the kind of a person he is, how he respects people, how he conducts himself, how he is a family man and how he handles situations, like I said, with maturity and professionalism. I really like how we respect and appreciate each other. You must remember, Seema and I, just like Lekgwathi, are not from the same era, but whenever I am with them, I feel like we were teammates. These are the selfless people who will always make sure that everyone around them is fine, even before themselves. They want to see peace and harmony. How can you not want such people around you? I must say, Hloni is a very good gentleman and he's showed a lot discipline ever since I first interacted with him. He believes in me as much as I believe in him. It humbles me to get a random call from him, just checking if I am ok, and that always amazes me. Our friendship is very unique, I must say, and I really appreciate it.
