Renowned South African coach Pitso Mosimane is taking football development to a whole new level with his Pitso Mosimane Soccer Schools programme (PMSS).
Mosimane hosted the first PMSS year-end tournament prize giving at the Benoni Northern Sports Club at the weekend.
Parents and “players of tomorrow”, as the slogan of PMSS avers, came out in their numbers to support the event.
At the launch of the PMSS in June, Mosimane said the mandate of the school is to guide and grow young footballers to become technically, intellectually, and socially equipped to succeed and excel in the competitive world of professional football.
The event at the weekend was also graced by former players including Teko Modise, Katlego Mphela and TS Galaxy striker Bernard Parker, who handed the players medals and certificates.
Speaking to Sunday World in a wide-ranging interview, Mosimane, the three-time CAF Champions League winner, said the PMSS is a legacy that he intends to build and fall back on after his decorated coaching career.
Mosimane’s legacy
“For me, the PMSS is a programme that the day I stop coaching at the highest level, will fall back on and say this is my legacy that I have left for my grandchildren,” he said.
“I don’t want to be remembered as a coach who won the Nedbank Cup or the DStv Premiership … that’s not enough because anybody can do that.
“I want to be remembered as a coach that has had an impact on people’s lives. So, setting such an occasion means a lot to me because I strongly believe that it will contribute to South African football by creating the player of tomorrow.”
Like the now-embattled Transnet School of Excellence which was famous for producing some of the stars, Mosimane said with the PMSS, he intends to go bigger and better by introducing new models and focusing more on the academic side.
He said: “Schools of excellence have created their own legacy that we all look up to and respect.
“But our vision is to own a school of excellence and a much better one in terms of the academics side and the coaching methodology. I am not saying the coaching was not right, but everything needs to improve.
“The football side will always be there, but we need to emphasise on the importance of academics in our players, hence my partnerships with Curro in PMSS.”
