I've been greeting you guys in English all these years, it is time to do things differently! Ngithi sanibonani nonke bathandi beSoccer Laduma nalabo abafunda lekholomu yami. Sanibonani nakubalandeli bebhola kunye naye wonke umuntu ofunda leli phephandaba. Ngiyathemba ukuthi nibe ne festive season entle kakhulu, uKhisimusi omuhle, kwaye nginifisela okuhle kuphela kulo nyaka ka 2024.
Welcome back and may this be a wonderful year for all of us. A year full of love, great things to come your way and a year that will see your dreams come true. From all of us, at Soccer Laduma, we wish you a prosperous 2024 and urge you to continue with your unwavering support for the Beautiful Game. Speaking of the Beautiful Game, it was good to watch football matches, for the first time in the DStv Premiership era, during the festive season and to see our league continuing until the 31st of December, with the supporters flocking to our stadiums and cheering their teams on. It was just beautiful to watch and I'm sure we are all in good shape and raring to go again.
This past Saturday, we saw Stellenbosch FC playing against the All-Stars team that comprised of players voted for by the supporters, in the Carling Cup. I must say, it was such an interesting match that saw a number of players raise their hands and make the most of the opportunity that was presented to them by Carling, the supporters and their coaches. It was also interesting and beautiful to see the young, up-and-coming players taking the bull by the horns and to see their DStv Diski Challenge coaches also involved in the initiative was magnificent. The challenge now is to both the players and the coaches to make the most of what we saw. For the players, they have to continue working hard and ensure that they grab every opportunity they get given, to justify their selection by almost giving the coaches no choice but to select them. For the coaches, to give opportunities to these young boys so that they become integral members of the senior team and grow. It will take both parties to make this work and I strongly believe everyone is up to the challenge and knows exactly what is expected of them.
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 I would have liked to have seen in Bafana Bafana's squad and what do I think of our chances in our group?
Coaching courses have taught and showed me the need to respect the coach's decisions because he lives and dies by them. As far as our group is concerned, we stand a good chance as long as we create and use our chances.
Gavin Ryan remarks about the Stellenbosch FC v Carling All-Stars game and questions if I think Stellies were fatigued or the opposition had a point to prove?
Sometimes the dice just doesn't fall for you and there is, unfortunately, nothing you can do about it.
Being Doc
Well, being Doc is not an easy task at all. However, without the path that I have walked with the help of everyone around me, the hiccups I have gone through and all the positives and negatives that I have had to endure, I don't think I would be where I am today. I will always remain humble and appreciate greatness and whenever someone is doing well, I will be the first to clap for them. Without a pure heart, there is no life.
Coaches I've worked with: Nothing was given to him on a silver platter
It is always a norm and something everyone is looking forward to, starting a new year or a season on a high note. I don't think anyone wants to start on a slow or mild motion because whatever you do now sets the tone for things to come. Personally, I want to start my first column of 2024 on a high note and set the standard and tone. I want to start it with a bang and that means looking at someone, for this segment, who has taken our football by storm. I am talking about the youngest coach in the league and someone who has broken records and achieved so much, in such a short space of time, career and age. I'm talking about someone who comes from a family with such a rich history in South African football. A family that has done so much for our football and brought us stalwarts who graced our football fields and entertained our people for generations. You can talk about his grandfather, his uncle, his father, cousins and anyone you can think of – they are all former footballers who made a name for themselves.
I don't think he was old enough to watch his grandfather play because even I only heard about his football greatness. The man I am talking about is none other than Rulani Mokwena! I want to congratulate this young coach who has surpassed all the expectations since taking full charge of Mamelodi Sundowns as the head coach. This man has surprised the whole world because no one expected him to do as well as he has done. I'm sure a lot of people are eating humble pie because they didn't see this masterful performance coming. This young coach came in, bravely, and became a stalwart in such a short space of time, having earned his stripes. When the opportunity was presented to him, he grabbed it with both hands – proving those who believed in him right and showing that nothing was given to him on a silver platter.
Rulani's is an inspirational story that a lot of people should learn from. Club bosses, aspiring coaches, players and everyone even in life in general, can learn from what this young man has done and achieved in his short career so far. Even in the Bible, David defeated Goliath, as young and undermined as he was, because he believed in himself and used the talent that God had blessed him with. No one would have given David a chance against such a monster and massively built figure, but it took just one sling shot for David to get the job done. Rulani has defeated a lot of 'Goliaths' out there and if anyone is looking for inspiration or motivation, look no further than the Chloorkop-based coach's story and progress in his coaching career. Most people, at his age, are seen as the future coaches because they have the potential, but Rulani has outgrown that stage and proved himself beyond any reasonable doubt.
He is now showing his talent, not potential, because he has done everything, and beyond, that was expected of him. He took the baton from the elders and his cousins in his family and ran with it, to continue with the rich Sono legacy in our football. Now it is no longer a case of him going to prove his worth, he's done it already. He used all the experience he gained under those who mentored him, empowered himself, stood firm and raised his hand to take full control of the coaching duties at the star-studded Sundowns team. He took the challenge upon himself to lead Sundowns to a brighter future and the rest is history. It is not just about Sundowns being brave enough to give him an opportunity. They didn't just do that for themselves because they are being addressed as a South African team. That means their wins are our wins because they represent all of us in the continent. They continue to raise our flag under his mentorship and we can only applaud them. I see no reason why we can't celebrate, praise, recognise and make noise about this gentleman. Having said that, we also need to make sure that we are curious enough to find out how did he manage to do it? Let's learn from the good example that he is, instead of trying to be negative.
We all know that people, especially behind closed doors, try to minimise what this gentleman has done for Sundowns and what the club has done for him, but those negative sentiments have no substance because the results are there for everyone to see. No one can argue against his progress on the field. Yes, no one is perfect and I hold no brief for him or anyone else, for that matter. Yes, there are people's toes he has trampled on and there are people who disagreed with some of the things he has said, but for this column, that's neither here nor there. I'm just talking about someone who has affected South African football in a massive way. It wasn't easy for Sundowns to win the inaugural African Football League and for them to be participating in the CAF Champions League and taking care of business here at home. He has made history in the DStv Premiership and continues to make a mark even in the continent. I'm not here to talk about things people don't know, because this great young coach needs no one to stand up for him. His work continues to speak volumes. I just want to say to Rulani, Manqoba Mngqithi, Wendell Robinson and the rest of the technical team: Congratulations and job welldone, guys. Your team is always performing above every expectation that anyone may have and you continue to deliver. Watching your team is always exciting, whether it is playing local or continental football. Consistency, identity, the culture and the quality in the players you possess make all the difference. I understand that some people think you are the best simply because you've signed some of the best players around.
However, that's not entirely true because Sundowns have always signed some of the best players but never dominated as much as they've been doing in the last six or so years. You can have the best players, but if you don't know how to turn them into a team and become elite players, you won't dominate. There is something they are doing right in order to enhance what these players already have. You have surpassed the expectations of every honest and football-loving South African. You guys have done so wonderfully well, but I still believe you are destined for even greater things. This is only the beginning! I still expect a lot from you, Rulani, in terms of contributing towards the upliftment of our football. Currently, Sundowns is the only team that has been getting more than five players called up into coach Hugo Broos' Bafana Bafana. They have 10 out of the 23 players in camp for the Afcon and that says it all. This is not about politics but highlighting the good that this young coach is doing to impact our football. I really admire him and wish him and his team everything of the best in all their endeavours.
I really want to acknowledge the good I have seen from Sundowns and this is not about having any qualms about any other team or anything like that. This is all appreciating and learning from the very same coaches I have mentioned here. I always watch their tactical trends and how they juggle between all the different games they have to play. It is amazing to watch how they go to perform in the continent in the same way they do here. They've played 13 league matches, won 11 and drawn two without any loss! Once again, I wish Sundowns everything of the best for the remainder of the season, both locally and in the continent.
Doc's memory bank: Rulani will never leave the room…
At some stage, I coached Kaizer Chiefs U17 and I remember seeing this young man coaching one of the teams we were playing against. He came to introduce himself to me and expressed just how much he admired me and all that. We had a chat about how I used to play and the things he remembered watching me do. To this day, that young coach, who happens to be Rulani Mokwena, whenever we meet up, he still calls me Grootman and shows so much humility, the same way he did back then. Those special moments one can never forget because they remind one of the contribution he has made in the football fraternity. To see this young coach having grown so much since then, gives me hope for South African football coaching and I'm really happy for and proud of him. Even if I don't see him, maybe I have my back to him, Rulani will never leave the room without coming to greet and chat. That's just the special kind of a person and a humble football servant that he is. I really appreciate him a lot. We are in regular contact because, as busy as he is, he will always make time to reply to a text message as I always text to congratulate and motivate him. Why would I be called a legend if I can't appreciate the beautiful innovations done by someone else to enhance our game? Just because he's not doing it for my former team doesn't mean I have to be jealous about it.
Doc's Friend Zone
People will be surprised to learn that I regard Rulani as a friend. Yes, we have not socialised together, but whenever we meet up or interact, there is a lot of harmony and friendship. I know people are always tempted to look at the age, but for people as matured and grounded as Rulani, age becomes irrelevant because they position themselves in a place where you can interact with them with absolute comfort. I have managed to build relationships even with younger guys than Rulani because of the way they carry themselves.
