Not many would have predicted that Bafana Bafana would make it past the group stage of the 2023 Afcon in Cote d'Ivoire, considering the tough group we were in, but the boys made us all proud. You always want to start on a high, whether it is the league or a cup competition, so that you put yourself in a favourable position to do well. We were all disappointed to lose our opening game to Mali, but the boys showed a lot of character by bouncing back and beating Namibia 4-0, before playing to a goalless draw against Tunisia to secure their spot against Morocco in the Last 16. What an impressive 2-0 win against Morocco to secure our quarterfinal spot against Cape Verde this Saturday! I wish the team everything of the best.
Doc Answers Your Questions…
Please don't forget to send your questions to editor@soccerladuma.co.za for now, until further notice.
Danny Moreo wants to know which players and coaches have impressed me so far at Afcon?
Honestly, I am just waiting to see who finishes where before I can put my mind on who has been impressive. I mean, where you finish also has a role to play in your overall performance. Having said that, there are a number of players and coaches who have raised their hands so far in this tournament. The tactical discipline and acumen they've shown has taken African football to another level. I'm sure everyone will agree with me that this will go down as one of the best editions of Afcon ever played.
Gavin Ryan wants to know if I was ever coached by someone who couldn't speak English and how was communication handled?
I have been through a number of different coaches at club and national team level. I have had coaches that were not fluent in English and they either had a translator or an assistant coach who could bridge the language barrier. They say football is a universal language, but it really helps to have a coach who can articulate his tactical plan without any language barriers.
Being Doc
It gives me a lot of pleasure to reflect on the impact people have had in my life, especially those who have become household names in their respective industries. I always feel privileged and humbled to be able to rub shoulders with some of the best. The protection and support I get from different people never goes unnoticed because it propels me to grow and become a better person.
Coaches I've worked with: This man isn't just a good coach
While we are still enjoying continental football, it is important to continue shining the spotlight on the coaches who have made a mark in South African football. We have to continue celebrating and acknowledging them while they are still alive. It is also important to check how are we utilising our own, as we can see other countries are investing and reaping the rewards of investing in their own coaches. As much as the same can't really be said about us, it was good to see some coaches attending the CAF A Licence course a couple of weeks ago. Some of the household names in the coaching fraternity were there and that shows how humble these guys are. Despite all their achievements, they continue to learn and empower themselves because you are never too old or experienced to learn. That's exactly what we want to see and that will go a long way in ensuring that we have qualified coaches in our football. Their success is our success. One of the coaches who attended that course was Gavin Hunt. This is someone who has won the league title four times, coupled with several trophies as well as individual awards at all the different teams he's coached.
When you look at Gavin, from where he started up to where he is today, his journey has been unbelievable. He hasn't had it easy at all and, like it is said, if it was easy, everyone would do it. Coaches like Gavin are people we need to boost our development and get our football back where it belongs. Winning the league title is a journey, unlike a sprint of winning a cup competition. He's won it three times back-to-back with SuperSport United and then once with unfancied and now-defunct Bidvest Wits. You look at the players he has produced and how they went on to become elite players. Gavin has groomed a lot of young players who have gone on to become top players because he is never scared to give youngsters a chance and a platform. These are the kinds of coaches we need to applaud and recognise. Who would've thought that Gavin would stay in Venda and do so well with Black Leopards, making them one of the most feared teams in the league? He didn't have the best squad in the league but turned those players into a very strong team.
In Gavin, we have someone who tells it like it is and I regard myself as fortunate to be interacting with coach Gavin. I really appreciate the moments and everything we've shared over the years. Believe it or not, even today whenever we meet in football corridors, everything remains the same between us and we continue to have a great relationship. His name is one of those we can't afford to miss out whenever we talk about coaches who have made a huge impact in our football. It is so unfortunate that the structures of our football sometimes overlook the local talent. Given a chance, Gavin would have been one of the best Bafana coaches and we would have benefited a lot from him. Unfortunately, South African football doesn't always do things the right way and that's why we continue to lose or miss out on local talent and on growing our football. This man isn't just a good coach but was one of the best right backs we've ever produced. I played against him when he was still at Hellenic FC, which was always a tough team to play against.
He used to get instructions from his coaches but now he is the one issuing out those instructions to his players. That man knows everything there is to know about our football and he is one of the coaches I believe is being underutilised in the country. This man has turned 'no-name' players into some of the most popular figures in our game. That's not easy at all because some coaches need top players to achieve success.
Doc's memory bank: He really blew my mind!
I will never forget the conversation I had with coach Gavin about my coaching career. As I am writing this, it feels like we had that conversation two days ago when it actually happened years ago. I bumped into coach Gavin at a restaurant and we started talking about the transition from playing to coaching. I told him about my wish to one day go to Europe and do the UEFA Licence once I was done with the SAFA coaching courses. Without hesitation, Gavin told me, "Go to the English FA, they offer the UEFA Licence and I've done it myself. It is a good course and I would really love to see you doing and obtaining that qualification." He then went on to advise me on what to do, how to go about getting to the course and things to expect. I couldn't believe it because he really blew my mind! This is someone I've never worked with, as we only played against each other, so for him to be so interested in helping me improve and enhance my coaching career was just out of this world. This takes me back to what I said about him developing youngsters because he developed me by giving me that information and I know I'm not the only young coach who has been helped and guided by him. I got that qualification and I thank Gavin for it because his advice went a long way in helping me achieve my dream.
This man really helped me and I am glad I didn't let him down. After our conversation, my mind was made up about pursuing the course. I went straight to the Chairman, Dr Kaizer Motaung, to ask if it was possible for Kaizer Chiefs to please fund my studies, and he easily agreed to make it happen. I also have to thank Chiefs for their financial assistance and overall support. In one of my classes in England, guess who was my coaching instructor? The one and only Stuart Baxter! Ha, ha, ha, talk about a small world! At the time, I had no idea that I would become his assistant coach at Chiefs a few years down the line. I was in London for a whole month studying that course. I know people see rivalry on the field of play and think coaches and players are enemies, but people will be shocked to find out about the support we exchange behind the scenes. We are all professionals and get along very well, but when it is time to get the job done, nothing else is on our minds. I know this is going to shock a lot of people because they don't expect me to get advice or assistance from someone like Gavin, but it happens all the time.
Doc's Friend Zone
Gavin is the kind of an individual that will surprise you. Like I said, we come a long way because we've known each other for years. From being opponents on the field of play, we sat on opposing benches when I was the assistant coach at Chiefs. Please forgive me if this sounds like a racial statement because that's not my intention. I'm just trying to explain something and paint a picture for our readers to understand exactly what I mean when I describe this man and his character. I look at coach Gavin and see a black man in a white man's body. I remember one night when we went out together with Gavin. It was me, him, Stanton Fredericks, Robert Marawa and Mark Williams. I bump into coach Gavin a lot when I go out and I am always amazed by this man because his skin is white, but he's black inside, ha, ha, ha. If you don't know Gavin's character, you won't understand the point I am trying to drive home here about him.
The love, respect and fun he is to be around is just on another level. Our friendship is just great and he goes out more to places black people go to. Anyone who knows Gavin, off the field, will attest to this and he's such good company. This is a really good friend and we may not see each other every other day, but whenever we meet up, it is just special. What a lovely and jolly guy to be around. He cracks jokes and we will be talking in football terms. We would be chilling in a public area and coach Gavin would be like, "Hey man, the intensity is high in here," and starts laughing. If you are not clued up, you won't know he means the place is packed. He would also say, "Hey Doc, there are so many players in here. The window period is open, ha, ha, ha." We would talk about things happening, in football terms, and someone who hasn't done coaching will never understand what we are talking about. That's the kind of friendship I have with Gav and I really appreciate it. Spending time with that man is always interesting and fun. That's how much coach Gav has impacted my life and, once again, I really appreciate him. Having people like Gavin in this industry means one is surrounded by quality and can never run short of advice or assistance. I wish you everything of the best, coach Gav, and thanks for everything you've done for me so far. You are an important part in my life.
