The Nedbank Cup quarterfinals gave us some mouthwatering action this past weekend with Mamelodi Sundowns, Stellenbosch FC, Orlando Pirates and Chippa United progressing through to the semifinals. It was interesting to watch these games and they gave us so much to talk about. Who would've predicted a 4-0 thumping of SuperSport United by Stellies? Sundowns being pushed all the way to the penalties by Motsepe Foundation Championship side, University of Pretoria? What a game between AmaZulu FC and Pirates in their 4-2 win! Chippa look rejuvenated under their co-coaches, Thabo September and Kwanele Kopo who are working closely with Morgan Mammila in their technical team. The semis draw has been conducted and, I would like to congratulate the four teams for making it this far and wish them all the best in the next stage of the tournament. Let me also wish Sundowns the best of luck in their semi-final first leg match away to Esperance Tunis on Saturday night.
Doc answers your questions…
Please don't forget to send your questions to editor@soccerladuma.co.za for now until further notice.
Gavin Ryan says a 17-year-old was fielded in the starting line-up in the UEFA Champions League clash between PSG and Barcelona. So, he wants to know why we don't see enough of such in our domestic league and whether it is because coaches fear losing games with youngsters?
Honestly, I must say it is refreshing to see more and more youngsters being given a chance in the first team. It augurs well for the future of our teams and the country's football because those players are the future Bafana stars. Like I said, in one of my previous columns, I don't believe in using age to determine whether someone gets a chance or not. If you deserve it, you must get it regardless of your age.
Mthuthuzeli Magqashela wants to know my thoughts on refereeing in our league. I see the officiating has been in the news a lot more, lately. I don't think things are as bad as they are made out to be because most of the so-called controversial decisions were eventually proven correct.
Football is an emotional game and a game of opinions, so people will always talk about the decisions taken by the referees.
Being Doc
It is a privilege to lean from others, but you only take the good and use it for your own growth. Sometimes, like I always say, when you surround yourself with positive people and energy, you get it back into your life. You can't do positive things and become a negative individual.
Coaches I've worked with: I don't recall him being loud
I want to talk about this humble individual who has done so much for South African football, Patrick Mabedi. The former Malawian international defender was my teammate, and I went on to coach him, both at Kaizer Chiefs. He's one of the humblest individuals I have ever met. This man mainly speaks when spoken to. You'd think he is not around because he hardly says anything. He's not your loud person who makes his presence felt through his words, he's more about action rather than talking. When you look at his character, he's so humble, professional, and always delivers at his best. When he joined us at Chiefs, I will be the first to admit, looking at the position he was playing, I didn't have much confidence in him. Central defence demands vocal leaders who will be able to marshal their troops all the time and that's not what Patrick is all about. That position needs aggressive people who will have to protect their goals from physical and speedy strikers. I didn't see Patrick ticking any of those boxes but, to my surprise, his inside was completely different to what you saw on the outside. You see a humble and soft-spoken human being who is always clean and never argues with anyone. I don't recall him being loud or arguing with anyone, including opposition, but the soldier that is inside that man is unbelievable! He's one of the bravest guys you will ever come across.
It humbles me to see how much he has grown from being a footballer to being a coach. To think that this is someone I even coached, makes me happy. He was a humble footballer, and he continues to be a humble coach, entrusted with the responsibility of leading his country's national team. Based on his performances so far, I believe he has grown in leaps and bounds because he surely has learned to mix his character with being a bit louder and aggressive in his coaching. I believe he is combining the two very well and I was so happy to see him coaching his national team in the COSAFA Cup. He took a team without any big-name players and got them to perform so well for their country. If I were to take you back to our playing days, if Patrick wanted to give you a message, he would run close to you and whisper into your ear. You'd hardly hear him shouting a message to a teammate and that's just how he was. This man is really humble, too humble for the position he was playing but he proved to be more that what I saw in him. These are the kinds of leaders who never dwell on negativity, they never show aggression, but they will always get the job done and you will know exactly what they expect from you. Patrick didn't get the armband just because he was an international defender. No, he earned everything he got because, like I said, he was more than just what you saw. His leadership skills were out of this world, and he had such a positive impact on the players.
Once he was settled, you could easily see the growth in his game, and he started being a little bit more vocal. He was never aggressive, but his message was always clear enough. Whenever the going got tough, he would be the first one to assemble his troops and give words of wisdom. One of his favourite lines was, "Come on gents, let's do this for our supporters!" and you could tell that he was growing with the brand that is Kaizer Chiefs and gelling well with everyone in the family. He was more than just a footballer and that's why I wasn't even surprised when the club called him in to assist Steve Komphela. His coaching wings started spreading from there on and he's never looked back from there on. This man didn't jump any steps in his growth, he covered his bases and I'm not surprised to see him where he is today. I had the privilege of playing alongside the late Jack Chamangwana, who was also from Malawi and Patrick proved to be like his countryman, same as the likes of Cedric Nakhumwa, Lovemore Chafunya, Ernest Mtawali, John Maduka, and many other Malawian footballers. There's just something about these guys' character and humility. They are all very humble and down-to-earth.
Doc's memory bank: No one could stand in his way
For the first time at Chiefs, as both a player and a coach, I had a player come to me to humbly request to take a penalty in a pressure situation. We were playing the final, second leg of the Africa Cup Winners' Cup (also known as Mandela Cup) against Angola's Inter Clube Luanda at Ellis Park Stadium when Patrick approached me to say, "Can I please take this penalty?". I thought to myself, "You, out of everyone in the team, want to take the responsibility in a do-or-die situation like this?" Remember, this was in the 90th minute with both teams locked at 1-1 from the first leg away in Angola. So that was a very important penalty and we needed to convert it to win the trophy. Patrick was so sure of himself, and no one could stand in his way.
I couldn't believe the confidence he had, and I was more than happy to allow him to take the penalty. Once a player is that sure about something, the best thing to do is to allow them to go ahead instead of putting them off. I had to be professional and understand that the man felt strongly about the spot-kick, and it was only fair that we allow him to take it. Sometimes you must let people know that they are important and that they are part of the team. So, if I had turned his request down, who knows what might have happened? I told him, "Patrick, get that ball and make us proud, please!" Mabedi usually scored penalties but that one, I don't want to lie, my heart nearly jumped out of my body! The way that ball was slowly going to the goal line like a tortoise, with the goalkeeper well-beaten as he dived to the wrong side, was the longest penalty I had seen in my life! The ball slowly rolled towards the line and what a huge sigh of relief when it finally crossed the line! That man almost gave us a heart attack that day. We couldn't stop celebrating and it was a special moment for all of us.
Dos's Friend Zone
Mabedi once surprised me. I had his number saved on my phone because he had become a teammate, friend, brother, and everything to me since we first met at Chiefs. This one day, I received a message from a South African number that I didn't recognise. The message went, "Good afternoon my big brother. This is Patrick Mabedi and I'm just touching base with you, to see how you are doing." After reading the message, I texted back and asked, "Can I please call you?" and he said yes, I could. I called him and we were on the phone for such a long time, reminiscing about the good old days. We were both so happy to hear from each other and it was such a special moment. Socially, he's not your loud type because he's a very calm individual. Mabedi is always great company, and it is such a humbling experience to share space with him. I really appreciate the moments we shared together as both teammates and me coaching him. When I became the assistant coach, Patrick was one of the guys who gave me their full support and saw me as their coach rather than a former teammate. I'm proud to say the boys gave me the respect I deserve. I'm happy and proud to see the strides Mabedi has made in his coaching career and life after football. I really cherish every moment we spent together, and I wish you everything of the best with your future endeavours. We must definitely do coffee soon because it has been a while since we last met up.
