27 September 2019, by: Thathe Msimango

Analysis: PSL Coaching Merry-Go-Round

The announcement was applauded by many South African football fanatics as a remarkable move that will take our football structures to another level.

There has been an exclamation before as many felt that the winnings have been stationary for more than a decade, whilst our league in the process had managed to attract millions of people across the globe in terms of following.

Big companies like Absa Group, Nedbank, MTN Group, Telkom and South African Breweries (SAB) have invested hefty sums of money in ensuring that the league is ranked amongst the best in the world.

They say sport unites people and that sentiment has been proven. Our league has been graced with players from all parts of the world that speak different languages and come from various cultural backgrounds to entertain the fans.

The league has created a lot of job opportunities from ordinary people up to those who hold certain universities degrees. That’s what the PSL brand means to the millions of people across the world.

In 2018, the outspoken Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane voiced his dissatisfaction over the league winnings as he felt it was too little compared to the MTN8 cup, where a team can play four matches and then scoop a whopping R8 million.

Meanwhile, in the league, a club has to play a 30-game marathon only to claim R10 million top honours.

“Why should you play 30 games to get R10m and four to get R8m?” questioned Mosimane. “For me, it doesn’t make sense financially.”

So many peoples’ prayers have been answered. There’s an increase.

As celebrations transpired around the country – coaches were more worried about the tough challenges that lie ahead.

That means their jobs will be more at risk as club owners raise the bar to snatch the best prize on offer.

Lamontville Golden Arrows coach Steve Komphela spoke to the media after his side won a pre-season tournament, the KwaZulu-Natal Premier’s Cup, on 28 July at the King Zwelithini Stadium, on what the increased prize money means to our football league.

He pointed out that the pressure the club bosses will put onto coaches to deliver will mean that colleagues will lose jobs after round five or six of games.

Komphela said: “You must put this on record. After match number six, You must put this on record. Please bring this file after six matches. we will start to lose our jobs.”

The insightful Kompela was spot on. So far, four coaches have already vacated their roles after just six matches. Micho Sredojevic was the first to pave the way as he resigned from Orlando Pirates, Clinton Larsen followed shortly after battling to produce results at Chippa United.

AmaZulu ended their two-year marriage with Cavin Johnson and then Lionel Soccoia was shown door at Black Leopards.

So are club bosses reasonable to fire coaches so early in the season? Are they greedy? Are sponsors injecting more pressure on the club owners to make a harsh decision to protect their brand? What does it say to our league?

Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Jabulani Mendu believes football is all about good results and if a coach is failing to deliver, then he must be fired.

“Of course, the game is about points so If a coach is able to accumulate the required ones survives,” he said. “The teams got stakeholders and certain goals. Even coaches know that they hired to get fired. It not good, not health but what can we do? it just the name of the game.”

Modern football is growing at a rapid rate and people are always sharpening their skill by educating themselves.

The former Bidvest Wits and Orlando Pirates coach, Roger de Sa, suggests that coaches must familiarise themselves with the contracts before putting signatures on them.

The 54-year-old believes most coaches jump in looking at the salaries without looking at the details of the contract.

“Most football coaches are like car buyers that insure their cars with cheap insurances without knowing the heavy price they get to pay if submitting the claim,” De Sa states. “Coaches sign contracts based on salaries without looking at the clause of it. The public seems to misinterpret the whole issue, coaches are not being fired but their contracts are terminated because they failed to meet an agreed mandate or performance figures.”

De Sa urged coaches to rather sign cheap contracts with an achievable mandate to create a good track record, which in the future will help them secure employment.

“I know most of the coaches are breadwinners to their families,” he added. “But let’s be realistic in this issue. Coaches are chasing money rather than their future.

“I know It’s tough out there but if you get fired then what your future will hold? Are you going to get jobs? How long are you going to last?

“You’ll end up being an unwanted coach. Build your career on the small contract with achievable possibilities until you gain more recognition to have a long future in this industry.”

Even today, coaches remain without an association or union that will fight for their rights and De Sa is still surprised why this has not happened.

The issue of the coaches being fired is not a South African problem but a worldwide phenomenon. But without an organization that will stand for them – the trend will escalate even further.

In recent years, Chippa United boss Chippa Mpengesi has been known to raise the finger in the air like a baton when it’s come to firing the coaches at his club.

Many have questioned his football knowledge but the truth remains that there is no club willing to see themselves playing in GladAfrica Championship – the second tier of South African football.

The Absa Premiership monthly grant teams receive are way above those in the first division. Top-flight teams also enjoy television coverage, cup competitions and stand a chance to attract sponsors and generate millions of revenue.

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