Motsepe Foundation Championship coach Henry Basie boasts one of the rare privileges in football. Aside from the legendary Jomo Sono, Basie, affectionately known as Shabba, is the only coach who doesn’t lose sleep over his employment.
After all, Basie is both owner and coach of second-tier side Hungry Lions FC, making his dismissal impossible. The 44-year-old, who took charge of the club after his uncle Stefaans Basie retired, told FARPost that his passion for the game fuels his dual leadership at the Northern Cape-based team.
“It’s very hard to share your dream, and at the end of the day, you’re the only one who knows what you want because it’s your dream. It was about dreams. It was about coaching. I wanted to get the team promoted. This is my dream. So now, when I take my dream and I give it to you, it’s no longer the same because we are not sharing the same principles. We’re not sharing the same values and passion. So, it becomes difficult to share my dreams,” Basie explained his insistence on coaching while running the club.
“Though I have two heads as coach and chairman, most of the time I am coaching the team. I’ve got the CFO. I’ve got the administrator. I’ve got the team manager. All these guys are doing everything. I’m just there to coach. The only time when I’m really doing the chairman’s work is when I go to the PSL’s Board of Governors meeting. Sometimes, when I consult with or meet potential sponsors, you will find me wearing my chairman hat. But most of the time, I’m a coach.”
HUNGRY LIONS’ DREAM OF PROMOTION
Basie’s club, based in the mining town of Postmasburg, has been campaigning in the first division for the past five seasons. Their dream of promotion to the country’s elite league has faced many challenges. Basie says they are doing their best to push forward despite the hurdles on their path to their promised land.
“It’s not easy running a club. It’s costly. We lack resources. We don’t have training facilities in Postmasburg. Currently, we train at a school in Postdene. There are no change rooms. Even our home matches are played in Upington, about 200 kilometres from Postmasburg, because we don’t have facilities that meet PSL standards. We are incurring costs. The whole travelling thing is a big challenge. Imagine travelling to Venda and Cape Town. You need enough time for players to rest and recover. You have to budget for travelling, accommodation and so on,” said Basie.
“We have to work extra hard compared to players in Gauteng and Mpumalanga. A club in Gauteng has advantages. Tuks can play friendly games against Mamelodi Sundowns or Kaizer Chiefs at any time. They will learn a lot. They also have facilities to speed up recovery. It’s hard for us to get a friendly against a team on our level or higher. We have to work harder than other teams. Normally, we are in the top six in the first half of the season, but after that, we struggle because of fatigue from the travelling.”
Many a coach in the Motsepe Foundation Championship has lamented the state of refereeing. Basie says the referees’ inconsistencies play a role in the progress of the teams.
HENRY BASIE URGES COACHES TO EMPOWER THEMSELVES
“The refereeing issue is sensitive. It’s not that the referees are robbing. Sometimes it’s human error. It’s just that they are inconsistent. Sometimes it’s a mistake that can cost your team. The very next weekend, someone can make a mistake that favours you. I think VAR is going to solve a lot of problems,” said Basie.
Basie is of the view that with some financial injections, his club can become more competitive and stand a chance of making it to the Betway Premiership.
Basie, who holds a CAF C-License, addressed the Tsantsabane Local Football Association Indaba in Postmasburg on Saturday, urging young coaches and administrators to empower themselves to develop football in their areas. The Tsantsabane LFA President, Lebogang Daniels, revealed they plan to have a player from their area ply their trade in the PSL.
“We want to have one or two players in professional ranks. The last time we had a player was years ago when Jurie Basie played for Santos. We have done well with match officials because two of our products – Romario Phiri and Sergio Olyn – are officiating in the Betway Premiership. At least we are doing something. I have also served as a match commissioner for the Soweto Derby. There’s a lot of talent and potential in our area. We just need to capacitate our football with coaching. If we can coach players properly, we could achieve,” said Daniels, who holds various positions, including Match Commissioner/Referee Assessor, FIFA Referee Instructor, and Technical Head of Referees in the Northern Cape.
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