Legendary Pitso Mosimane lauds his three former players after recent achievement

South African coach Pitso Mosimane is one of the most successful tacticians in the continent.

The 61-year-old has conquered the continent three times – win CAF Champions League with Mamelodi Sundowns once before replicating the fete with Egyptian heavyweights Al Ahly, and won several domestic competitions as well. He also won a bronze twice in the FIFA Club World Cup.

Furthermore, he has coached outside the continent on several occasions with his last assignment being in Iran where he was the main man at Esteghlal before his unceremonious exit.

‘Jingles’ as he is famously known, has now lauded his former player Sibusiso Vilakazi, Teko Modise and Hlompho Kekana who have grown to be influential analysis.

Why Mosimane is proud

“I’m so proud when I see Sibusiso Vilakazi; Valdez, he’s on tv, doing match analysis, Teko on tv – after football, right. Because it’s not all about coaching a player to play football. You must coach a player for life,” the former Masandawana coach told SuperSport TV.

“I’ve always told you that you must coach the player for life, so that they can sustain themselves after playing for you. It’s not all about winning trophies with me. For me, I’m more happy and humble to listen to them doing match analysis, because I was talking to them about that and I was fighting with them – ‘you must do your match analysis, I need to see your notes, how did you see how you played’.

“So it’ a no-brainer, a platform has been said. The classified book has sunk in, now they can sustain themselves after football, of course. Sibusiso Vilakazi and Teko were players who were my coaches on the pitch, because they understand, they are very good with tactical awareness and what we do on the pitch,” Mosimane continued.

“Hlompho Kekana is with SABC, that’s what you want to see. It’s more than winning trophies. You’ve got to understand what it means for me, when I’ve played against, I’ve coached these players and then there is life after football with them.

“As I speak about Vila, I see him on tv, listening to him how he analysed the games. Teko is a master of match analysis. I think they will remember they will remember the days I was fighting them to do match analysis, so today they are living the dream, right?” he concluded.

It is interesting to see where Mosimane will coach next since he still has several years to give back to football.