After carving out a career that has taken him to rub shoulders with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar, former Mamelodi Sundowns striker Katlego Mphela has revealed Pitso Mosimane's secret to reaching unprecedented heights.
Mosimane became the first coach in the PSL era, foreign or local, to win five league titles at the end of the 2019/20 season after he awoke the sleeping giant, Mamelodi Sundowns following his appointment in 2012.
The former Bafana Bafana coach broke new ground shortly after the start of the 2021/22 campaign, after he joined Al Ahly, the first Sub-Saharan coach to manage the Red Devils and during his two-year stay at the club, the 60-year-old won two CAF Champions League titles, which added to the continental championship he won with Sundowns.
The Kagiso native tactician is the second-most successful coach in the CAF Champions League with three titles, a feat which opened doors for him to venture into Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and the Gulf region in the Middle East.
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Mphela, who played under Mosimane at SuperSport United, the Brazilians and Bafana Bafana, says 'Jingles''s hard work coming up in the coaching ranks was second to none and his obsession on improving players made him who he is today.
"The things you know, back then he was doing them twice. That guy would go and play a Nedbank Cup, with a team from somewhere in the villages," Mphela explained in an interview on Smash Sports YouTube Channel.
"And he will tell you all the players one by one, their strengths, weaknesses, their names, where they live. I'm talking about not even a Vodacom team (third tier). That's how he was.
"Also he was hands on. I think he has changed a bit or is more mature. Back then, he was too passionate, wanted to prove himself. He was too much sometimes, players could not understand. He works hard that guy," 'Killer' revealed.
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Mosimane was ahead of his time during an era where opposition analysis was not at the level it is now.
After Kaizer Chiefs were knocked out by third-tier side Baroka in the Nedbank Cup in 2011, former coach Vladimir Vermezovic did not hide that they did not do their homework on the minnows.
"Do you think a Chiefs team needs to do some special research for a Vodacom League team?"
Vermezovic passed the buck to the players in the aftermath instead.
