There is arguably no better person to take South African football stalwarts, including the “2ks”, down memory lane on how the Premier Soccer League (PSL) has grown in leaps and bounds, than the legendary coach and development master Augusto Palacios.
The PSL is celebrating 30 years of existence, having been formed in 1996 after an agreement between the National Soccer League and the remnants of the National Professional Soccer League.
By then, Palacios had long been in South Africa and was a major part of SA football’s evolution. He arrived from Peru in 1983, as a player-coach for Witbank Black Aces.
He later fully transitioned into coaching years, where he coached several clubs, including Bafana Bafana, the now-defunct Moroka Swallows, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates — where he ultimately made a big name for himself.
READ: Back Pitso and forget the Broos era, says Augusto Palacios
The Peruvian went on to unearth and develop some of the best gems the country has seen. Benedict “Tso” Vilakazi, Joseph “Duku Duku” Makhanya, Lesley Manyathela, Gift Lereme and Lyle Foster, among many other players, came through the Augusto Palacios Apprentice Academy in collaboration with the Pirates youth structures.
“Njenje”, as Palacios is nicknamed in Mzansi for butchering English words, might not have been fluent in speaking the colonial language but he was certainly fluent in football. A guru of note in that regard.
Fast forward to now, Palacios, aged 74, remains an intrinsic figure in the development of South African football and history. And he did that through the guidance of pioneers Kaizer Motaung and Irvin Khoza — who were the trailblazers of what is now one of the best, if not the best, leagues in Africa, the PSL.
Palacios welcomed Sunday World to his home recently, something that clearly does not happen often.
READ: Palacios offers advice to his troubled protegee Lyle Foster
Njenje had to first check with his wife whether we could use his museum-like study to shoot the interview; otherwise, we could have easily shot it outside.
But because Mrs Palacios was kind enough to welcome us inside their home, we got to listen to the good and bad experiences Palacios endured in the many years he spent in football, both as a player and coach, and locally and internationally.
The study is filled with his accolades and memorabilia, picture frames with different statesmen, football pioneers, legends and icons one can only dream of meeting.
Palacios got an opportunity to take pictures with Nelson Mandela, Diego Maradona, Pele, Sir Alex Ferguson, Carlos Alberto Parreira, Vicente del Bosque, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo Nazario, to name but a few.
His relationship with Khoza is one of those that many people would say needs to be studied at Harvard, in the way it was candid.
“If one speaks to me about Orlando Pirates and the chairman Khoza … it has been a long 27 years together. I have many memories but when I look at how the league has grown and achieved in the 30 years under the leadership of Khoza, it is unbelievable,” Palacios said.
“We are now talking about clubs that went from not having sponsorships to now getting grants worth millions. In my many years in football, I don’t remember supporters from rival teams in a derby sitting together in the stadium but I got to witness that in the PSL.
“I cannot talk about 30 years of the PSL without mentioning the Ellis Park disaster [in 2001, when a crowd crush killed 43 people during a Soweto derby between Chiefs and Pirates]. I was there as the coach of Pirates. It was a very sad thing to witness because the stadium was full.
“But we have seen the progress in the PSL, where stadiums are managed well. Today, there are things like digital tickets to manage the capacity of fans at the stadiums.”
- The Premier Soccer League (PSL) was formed in 1996 after an agreement between the National Soccer League and the remnants of the National Professional Soccer League.
- Augusto Palacios arrived in South Africa in 1983 as a player-coach for Witbank Black Aces and later coached several clubs including Bafana Bafana, Moroka Swallows, Kaizer Chiefs, and Orlando Pirates.
- Palacios developed top South African players such as Benedict Vilakazi, Joseph Makhanya, Lesley Manyathela, Gift Lereme, and Lyle Foster through his Apprentice Academy and Pirates youth structures.
- Palacios has a close 27-year working relationship with Orlando Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza, praising Khoza's leadership in the growth of the PSL over 30 years.
- Palacios witnessed the Ellis Park disaster in 2001 during a Soweto derby as the Pirates coach and notes the PSL has since improved stadium management with measures like digital tickets.
There is arguably no better person to take South African football stalwarts, including the “2ks”, down memory lane on how the Premier Soccer League (PSL) has grown in leaps and bounds, than the legendary coach and development master Augusto Palacios.
The PSL is celebrating 30 years of existence, having been formed in 1996 after an agreement between the National Soccer League and the remnants of the National Professional Soccer League.
By then, Palacios had long been in South Africa and was a major part of SA football’s evolution. He arrived from Peru in 1983, as a player-coach for Witbank Black Aces.
He later fully transitioned into coaching years, where he coached several clubs, including Bafana Bafana, the now-defunct Moroka Swallows, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates — where he ultimately made a big name for himself.
READ: Back Pitso and forget the Broos era, says Augusto Palacios
The Peruvian went on to unearth and develop some of the best gems the country has seen. Benedict “Tso” Vilakazi, Joseph “Duku Duku” Makhanya, Lesley Manyathela, Gift Lereme and Lyle Foster, among many other players, came through the Augusto Palacios Apprentice Academy in collaboration with the Pirates youth structures.
“Njenje”, as Palacios is nicknamed in Mzansi for butchering English words, might not have been fluent in speaking the colonial language but he was certainly fluent in football. A guru of note in that regard.
Fast forward to now, Palacios, aged 74, remains an intrinsic figure in the development of South African football and history. And he did that through the guidance of pioneers Kaizer Motaung and Irvin Khoza — who were the trailblazers of what is now one of the best, if not the best, leagues in Africa, the PSL.
Palacios welcomed Sunday World to his home recently, something that clearly does not happen often.
READ: Palacios offers advice to his troubled protegee Lyle Foster
Njenje had to first check with his wife whether we could use his museum-like study to shoot the interview; otherwise, we could have easily shot it outside.
But because Mrs Palacios was kind enough to welcome us inside their home, we got to to the good and bad experiences Palacios endured in the many years he spent in football, both as a player and coach, and locally and internationally.
The study is filled with his accolades and memorabilia, picture frames with different statesmen, football pioneers, legends and icons one can only dream of meeting.
Palacios got an opportunity to take pictures with Nelson Mandela, Diego Maradona, Pele, Sir Alex Ferguson, Carlos Alberto Parreira, Vicente del Bosque, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo Nazario, to name but a few.
His relationship with Khoza is one of those that many people would say needs to be studied at Harvard, in the way it was candid.
“If one speaks to me about Orlando Pirates and the chairman Khoza … it has been a long 27 years together. I have many memories but when I look at how the league has grown and achieved in the 30 years under the leadership of Khoza, it is unbelievable,” Palacios said.
“We are now talking about clubs that went from not having sponsorships to now getting grants worth millions. In my many years in football, I don’t remember supporters from rival teams in a derby sitting together in the stadium but I got to witness that in the PSL.
“I cannot talk about 30 years of the PSL without mentioning the Ellis Park disaster [in 2001, when a crowd crush killed 43 people during a Soweto derby between Chiefs and Pirates]. I was there as the coach of Pirates. It was a very sad thing to witness because the stadium was full.
“But we have seen the progress in the PSL, where stadiums are managed well. Today, there are things like digital tickets to manage the capacity of fans at the stadiums.”
