Newly appointed Venda Football Academy coach Michael Loftman describes his experience with Orlando Pirates as a “steam cooker”.
The high-pressure environment presented by the Buccaneers prepared him for what lay ahead.
Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Rulani Mokwena recently related how the London-born mentor ended up at the Soweto giants, where he worked as an MDC coach and assistant coach for the senior team.
“We met and connected through social media through mutual contacts,” Mokwena told FARPost. “I requested a match report [Pirates was about to play Kaizer Chiefs in a derby]. He did it, and it was unbelievable; I still have a hard copy. I took it and showed it to the Orlando Pirates chairman; he was impressed by the standard and quality of the information and offered him a job. We won the match convincingly, 3-0, I think.
“His attention to detail, curiosity, and work ethic are incredible from a football perspective.”
Loftman, who has held jobs in Belgium, Egypt and Zambia, says the Bucs gig was an “unbelievable experience”.
“Rulani then came for me and took me to Pirates. Pirates were an unbelievable experience for any coach, a steam cooker – a high-pressure environment. It was a great environment,” he told FARPost.
While Pirates is a prestigious job, Loftman’s star would continue even beyond the Buccaneers’ prestigious ship. Soon he would find himself as a coach and analyst at Lommel SK in Belgium. After parting ways with them, he would not find himself unemployed for too long with his name now properly established. In September 2021, when Carlos Queiroz took charge of the Egyptian national team, Loftman joined his coaching staff as a coach-analyst.
When he quit his job in North Africa just four months after his appointment, Loftman highlighted his desire to return “home” to South Africa on the cusp of the continent’s most prestigious tournament. That decision hammered home that now, the 32-year-old coach identifies more with South Africa than his native Britain.
Indeed, Loftman has not only fallen in love with the people the football and culture in South Africa but football too. He is one of the brigades of young coaches in Mzansi who want to see the nation regain its position at the top of the footballing food chain.
“Remember when Tottenham played Pirates and Pirates won 2-1 playing South African football. I want to go and do that with a South African team. I don’t want to play European football and beat them; I want to play South African football – a winger free to do multiple stepovers. I like the team to keep possession and have freedom on the ball,” the former Bucs coach said.
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