Pitso feels drawn to youth football
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has for the first time come clean by revealing the reasons behind the delay in the renewal of his contract with the much-decorated Masandawana, owned by mining mogul Patrice Motsepe.
Mosimane, 55, is on record saying that 80% of the deal has been sealed but the remaining 20% was the snag, leading to a protracted impasse between him and the Brazilians’ management.
He has, however, stated unequivocally that the remaining issues are borne out of his desire to leave a legacy behind for himself, his kids and his family.
The delayed new deal that will see the former CAF Coach of the Year staying at Sundowns beyond his current contract that ends in June, could be for another five years if the two parties agree on terms, and that’s the very reason he wants to be involved in other projects besides coaching the Downs senior team.
Jingles, as Mosimane is affectionately known, has been with the former CAF Champions League champions since 2012.
He disclosed that some “principle issues” currently being ironed out with the club’s management were behind the deadlock in the signing of a new contract.
He, however, told Sunday World that money was not the problem.
“It’s not about money but principles; 80% has been agreed on. It’s about my love for youth football.
“I want to make an impact in youth football by working with young players,” Mosimane said.
“This has been sitting with me for a very long time. Everybody is speaking about youth football development. We talk about it, we know what it is but we don’t know what needs to be done to take it forward.”
Mosimane said he intimated to the club before that he wanted to be involved in junior and youth schools football and these were not new terms to club management.
“I’m not getting younger, I’m 55. I don’t want to be remembered as that player who played good football or that successful Sundowns coach. I love youth football. I want to make the biggest contribution to our football but I don’t have the money to start an academy, a foundation or anything like that.
“I want to work within the existing structures of school football.
“I want to leave a legacy. We have so many youth tournaments and competitions, like the Danone [Nations Cup] and many others, you can name them. We have many players who became big names and came from schools football and went straight to play professionally in the PSL – KK [Sono], Doctor Khumalo and many others.
“I have been keeping this thing for the past seven years [of coaching the youth].
“I love Sundowns. I love the team. I want to stay. The players, the people love me. I just don’t want to be that guy when I’m laid to rest and the people say ‘he was a good coach’. I need to leave a legacy of having worked and developed the youth.”
Mosimane said he believes his ambition to go into schools football development was a small issue that can be resolved.
“This is something I would love to be given a chance to do.
“The delay in concluding the contract has also been caused by the team’s busy schedule. We’ve been to Angola, Casablanca, Algiers, the Telkom Cup and now the Nedbank Cup, the league, where the margins are getting bigger,” he said, referring to the gap between log leaders Kaizer Chiefs and the other clubs, including Sundowns.
Most PSL coaches are employed on a full-time basis and do not have other side jobs.
By Xolile Mtshazo
MtshazoXsundayworld.co.za
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