Pitso has Ferguson's qualities

By Herrold Lamola

In the most recent past- players were flocking in their numbers to the Mamelodi Sundowns headquarters- Chloorkop- to put a pen to paper and earn fat salaries for sharing their body temperatures with plastic seats on the bench.

Contrary to that- players are now opposing the traffic- willing to leave the most successful team in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) era and take salary cuts at the so called small teams. I have it on good authority that the most influential players at Sundowns are more than prepared to leave Chloorkop because of the alleged ‘iron fist ruling’ by Pitso Mosimane. Players are seeking for freedom at a new and different environment away from Chloorkop. Themba Zwane, Tiyani Mabunda and Tebogo Langerman are yet to commit to Sundowns as their current contracts are set to expire in June next year. Khama Billiat has made it clear that he won’t renew his contract at Sundowns.

Bafana Ba Style were signing everything and anything that moves- but since the arrival of, Pitso Mosimane, all that have changed. Most of the big name players who donned the blue and yellow stripes of, The Big Spenders, wanted to make quick cash and not deliver. Mosimane took the reigns from the Dutch legend, Johan Neeskens, and turned the relegation bound Sundowns into the formidable African Champions. Pitso’s iron fist rule has been a major problem for the senior players.

Mosimane was recently compared to the most successful Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, by the Mamelodi Sundowns president- Patrice Motsepe. Ferguson and Mosimane have a lot in common than their staying power. 

Mosimane is the most successful coach at Sundowns than all of his predecessors. With six titles in five years- Pitso is not only the most successful coach at Sundowns but also the longest serving coach- under Patrice Motsepe. In his fourth season at Sundowns- the club supporters wanted to see Pitso’s back- and the appointment of a new coach was looming. Fans grew frustrated at lack of trophies and the writing was on the wall that Pitso was leaving.

Like Ferguson who ruled with his emotions at United- Pitso does the same at Choorkop. Ferguson dried the air in the change room occasionally. The Hair Dryer as Ferguson was affectionately known at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ has a lot of qualities and weaknesses in common with Pitso. The club president is not folding to popular opinion and he stuck with Pitso. His patience with the man yielded some results as Pitso managed to conquer Africa. Despite his staying power and success, Pitso is not a favorite of many at Chloorkop.

According to Teko Modise- Pitso- has nudged him out of Chloorkop. In his controversial book, The curse of Teko Modise, The General claims that- he was not on talking terms with the man in charge at Chloorkop for a period of two years. Like Modise- senior players at Sundowns elude that- Mosimane- is a dictator.

Will Motsepe establish a commission of inquiry into the “iron fist ruling?”

@Lamola_Herold