Bafana Bafana international Themba Zwane has named three interesting coaches he’s worked with at his club – Mamelodi Sundowns.
Zwane is currently one of the longest-serving players after he linked with the Tshwane giants from an amateur team back in January 2011. He had a loan spell at Mpumalanga Black Aces before returning to establish himself in the Sundowns’ first team in the 2014/15 PSL season.
The 34-year-old has always displayed consistent performances season after season under different coaches, scoring goals and providing assists. To date, he has scored 83 goals and provided 58 assists in 419 matches in all competitions.
Zwane named Johan Neeskens, Pitso Mosimane and Rulani Mokwena as interesting coaches he’s worked with.
THEMBA ZWANE NAMES JOHAN NEESKENS, PITSO MOSIMANE AND RULANI MOKWENA AS HIS INTERESTING COACHES
Neeskens was Sundowns’ coach from the 2011/12 season till the middle of the 2012/13 season. Mosimane replaced Neeskens, and he lasted seven seasons as he left at the beginning of the 2020/21 campaign to join Egyptian giants Al Ahly.
As for Mokwena, he’s the current coach at Sundowns; he started as a co-coach alongside Manqoba Mnqgithi before taking the reins in October 2022, in the 2022/23 season.
“Difficult question, like I have three [coaches]; it’s Johan Neeskens, Pitso Mosimane and Rulani Mokwena. The three of them are interesting,” Zwane told Pitchside Podcast.
“Neeskens came from Barcelona FC. Obviously, he wanted us to play from the back, no matter what. Unfortunately, at that time, we didn’t take our chances; we were going to play well. But we still going to lose the game. But in terms of enjoying football, we were enjoying football, just that results were not coming.
“[Pitso Mosimane] He’s the type of coach that will push you. He will make sure that you watch your games, check your mistakes and try to improve them.
“I remember we were playing the last league match against Polokwane City FC, we were supposed to at least win by five goals because Kaizer Chiefs was in action [against Baroka]. He came to me and said, ‘You’re a big player, do something, do something’. Then I had pressure to deliver; we won the game 3-0.
“[Rulani Mokwena], what I like about him as a player you will improve, you learn a lot. He will tell you, watch this team and watch this player. If you check out the player he said you should watch, there are the same situations that you are facing on the pitch.
“It helps you to watch those kind of players that have high levels so that you see and improve.”
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