Black Leopards coach Joel Masutha, who spent part of his career at the former Premiership side, has revealed why he keeps going back to the club.
Masutha has had several stints with Leopards and insists he never leaves unless he is fired. He adds that he always comes back when his services are needed because he knows the team inside out.
The old adage warns that you should never go back. But in football, the sight of a former coach rocking up at the club again is deemed a normal occurrence.
However, returns do not always go as smoothly as it may seem, as it may take longer for the players to gel well and adapt to the coach’s philosophy.
Masutha orchestrated the Leopards’ upturn last campaign, saving them from the relegation zone when many people had already written their obituary.
Of course, this isn’t the first time that Masutha has lit up the headlines for all good reasons at the helm of the Limpopo-based outfit, as he had helped the side before to get promotion to the South African football top-flight after defeating Jomo Cosmos 1-0 in the final match of Premier Soccer League promotional play-offs at Thohoyandou Stadium during the 2017/18 season.
When asked why he keeps going back to Leopards whenever they are in trouble, he said: “First and foremost, I never leave Black Leopards. Every time I leave Leopards is because I have been fired. There is a saying that goes ‘’you never know the importance of something until you lose it”.
“I know Leopards inside out. Actually, I can say Venda teams. I can go to VFA, and I would succeed; I can go to TTM, I would excel. I have succeeded under difficult circumstances. It is also about knowing the area.
“For me, I know what Leopards need for them to succeed. Hence I sometimes don’t get the material I need to use in order to excel. Obviously, when you don’t have the right players, the results won’t come.”
The Lidoda Duvha mentor will be hoping to hit the ground running when the new season commences next month.
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