To members of the media um first let me congratulate DGA for winning photographer of the the is it the season or the year the year yeah we are all talented in many many different ways and it’s good to see that all your talent was recognized so congratulations for that
Um no congratulations to the football club I think uh a fantastic uh uh turn out the fans were amazing the El nation and uh it was great to see them happy and support the team the way they did and congratulations to them first and foremost congratulations to the entire
Club very important three points with a very very good performance so congratulations once again to uh to the players they they played really really well and gave a a good account of themselves and and represent presented the football club very well so congratulations to to to this fantastic group um and that
Includes the technical team very good very good preparation um congratulations to the coaches coach Michael coach W especially also because of that set peace goal with Peter was something we worked on a lot and uh also congratulations to to coach manova also because of his contribution and his his influence in in
Helping us to prepare during the FIFA break so so incredible team performance uh both on and off the pitch and congratulations to everybody thank you very much coach colleages it’s your opportunity to ask questions your name And ofation of this and how the team has there’s a lot of expectations for in the Champions League but also internally there that it’s something that last Happ in 2016 so to try and this yeah look pressure is built from um from that expectation and expectation
Comes as a result of being able to have shown that you have the capacity to and the the only way you can uh deal with that is by preparation and working very hard to make sure the team improves and gets better and and we pay attention to
Every small detail we we go game by game and now we have to recover um the players have to go home rest now it’s not easy even the bufana players you could see even with the lineup we we we we tried our best to to rest Mishi even
Though he was on the bench in case we needed him we rested tza uh because they come from a very grueling very grueling two games for for the World Cup qualifiers and uh but needs must you know and we needed to to have saor play a couple of minutes
But but now is is is important for us to recover and uh and um drink lots of water watch the game we do some review tomorrow and debrief about the performance and then and then we go for Super Sport because it’s going to be a very very difficult game against
A very good side but first things first is recovery and and getting the body back and and then focus on the next thanks Ken coach um in the past four four seasons three seasons in the champ we find teams that make example when made to the fin the beginning stes the stes after
With and you see what happened with yesterday losing the first game how how it goes back to the question I asked you from something from St when he said games that see easy are the highest 100% how how how important is it to your Authority as one of the favor place this edition
20232 how important is it to in the first first game take the first points it’s a very good question I think first first what’s important is is is uh to say to you that um the most important thing for us is we we know where the start standard is and
The standard is not in terms of what everyone sees uh what we see is the 90 minutes but what happens behind that is the hours of preparation and and there’s a certain standard that we’ve we’ve we’ve we’ve set and there’s no compromise on that and the players know and so it was
Very important that when uh we had the entire group coming back for the first time together we had a very very important discussion about it that’s number one because that’s that’s where everything lies there’s no there’s no hidden secrets success has the same Clues and and we have gotten to where we have
Gotten because of the work that we do and the amount of attention to detail that we try to put in and so that that we will never ever compromise on you know that’s and that’s number one to say number two is is of course it helps when
You have a squad of players that understand the importance of that and this group is a is a group now that’s maturing and and and they’ve got a very strong Brotherhood and and they work and they they they fight for each other and and and that also makes it a little bit
Easier number three is it the talk becomes a a bit a bit more easier to receive when uh I I said to the players just before kickoff I said you know my late Grand mother told me one thing she said she said to me intelligent people learn from
Their mistakes but the wise learn from other people’s mistakes and and and and when you look at the the scenarios that you’ve put up we out yesterday against Y and I was fortunate enough to try to catch some of the games b d it was so difficult physical aggressive but
But they got the result eventually but it’s these games are tough tough ma pyramids you saw how physical and aggressive that game was tight these games are tough J versus we I watched It’s the physicality the the the aggressive defending and and numbers behind the ball these games are very
Very difficult but but then you go first in that space to say guys you can’t and then you listen to the coach speak and he says we underestimated the opposition and that’s why we got so it’s easy to say to the place you can’t go there NIU you go to the
Lineup and you you you you speak about how many of the their players are in the national team the type of quality and you could see it even now CD the number 28 unbelievable makran the number nine very strong very aggressive Um MIM in the Midfield the number eight unbelievable s number 19 incredible so so it is a team that can cause bam the the captain the number 11 is is a is a team that can cause you a lot of problems and uh so we try to do that and
Also we try to to to learn from from them it could be a mistake but but the reality is you don’t want to put uh your faith in the hands of others you know if it wasn’t for the save of gronn maybe I’ll actually speak a different story
Last season and don’t qualify from the group stages so so we trying to to make sure that we set specific targets and we work towards those targets day by day and uh and keep our feet firmly on the ground and not get too far ahead of ourselves because because that that only
Leads to to to disaster and but like I as I say the most important thing out of everything is that you’ve got a you’ve got a squad of very good human beings who who understand the tasks the goals the Ambitions but also understand the process and that it’s not about just
Arriving there is about working every single day to get to that point and uh and uh huge compliments to this group for that thank thank you Sir yeah you don’t want me to start on Au because I I I’m I’m I I I must say to you I’m I’m I’m still very upset with au mudas injury you know because because yeah let’s leave it at that um no no I thought no what did do
Reasonably well I think uh a little bit better than what he’s been he’s been struggling for form but I but with what one thing with noo is is he’s a very honest footballer you know he he may struggle with with finding Rhythm and and and and and that’s normal you know
Sometimes with players there’s there’s always drop in form and and what he needs In This Moment is a coach that shows him a lot of support and a lot of love and and makes him realize how important he is and and just before uh we went to bed last night we showed him
A couple of Clips where like from last season and especially his performance against alak and and some of the good things that he did but it’s the same that I can say about Terren today I thought he was also very good it’s not easy to come in and and and and deliver
The type of performance in a Champions League game you can say the same about rashen stable zero mistake and and and and and that Rango came on was was was good zero mistakes very focused good with the AAL JS assisted with the buildup also and uh and you you you speak about
Leu Mambu also you know so it’s it’s you can say the same thing about all these players what what what helps them is that they are honest and they give you an honest shift and and that’s the least we we ask of them we ask of them to to
To give us their best and if their best is a six out of 10 then I’m happy I go home and I and I’m proud of them because that that is their best and then of course we we analyze and we say but from
A six how how do we go to six and a half and from a six and a half how do we go to seven always trying to get better and uh fortunately as I said all they all already good players all of them very very good players who and and who happen
To be honest human beings and and I’m very proud very very proud of the performance of now but I can say the same about I’m I’m happy for for tapel Mor being out for so long and he comes in and he makes that type of contribution Peter shalu has been out
With injury and uh struggled a little bit with um still with a knock during the FIFA break so we had to manage that but you see the quality that he provides Lucas rero you you can see why we missed Lucas so much him and Peter and tapel
And when when they play they they they they give the team so much more and um the same as I said about Terren the same as I said about Brian and rashen and Musa in a very difficult moment where we don’t have Malala we don’t have grand
Kakana so they they had to step up a little bit and Leo Mau so you know so I’m very proud of the players and proud that when we rotated the team the not only did we did we win but the standard didn’t drop uh because that’s been something that we’ve been speaking about
A lot congratulations thank you Mr M with all the changes are you able to name the elements that impress you about the team despite all the changes we make and I ask us to say are you aan of rotation will that be a constant feature you know you never
This I think I made my my when the season finished um when the season finished I I spent offseason sh is here because I was I was running into shy a lot at the clor cop and there was almost no one but I spent I spent the
Offseason most of it majority of it at clor cop and I went through all our games all our games from last season one of the and there were three big things that I spoke to the team about and I would not speak about all of them here but one of them was
Rotation and uh I’ve even made my feelings and I can say it here because I’ve made it known to them that I I am not so sure where the rotation is the right thing in big clubs because of coh chemistry fluidity and and and and also because last season when we dropped
Points against amazulu against Marburg against Stell Bosch when we lost in the in the cup uh when we drew to Stell Bosch in Cape Town 1 one when we dropped points against Cen Aros even we rotated a lot and and and most of the points and the defeat the defeat against tmos was
When we rotated the team so one of the things I’ve spoken to the group about has been that is that if if we if we have a squad of 36 players all 36 must make a contribution last season we had 36 we used 35 only one player didn’t get
Game time and and and the reality is if we are going to have an and on our roster a a squad like this and it has to be that people play but when they play they’ve got to make a contribution to the success of the team and it’s not
Because we are giving we are handing out performances and caps and and and appearances we we are not in a in that space for for for charity and then it becomes very difficult because now you you have that understanding that you’re dealing with human beings who happen to
Be footballers and footballers want to to be on the pitch to play to be happy so when they are happy they are happy as human beings not as footballers that’s the one part but the other part is now football is a is a game that is based on
Meritocracy you have to earn the right to play and so it’s a is a it’s a very difficult situation that we find ourselves in and and I’m happy that when these type of situations happen where we try to make the human being happy by giving a performance to now a chance to
Playi who was I thought was very good today a chance to play Musa rosin and they don’t drop the standard they still make not just themselves happy but the club Happy by getting the results and then that also speaks to the part of meritocracy because that then says the
Next time they they are afforded an opportunity to play it’s not because we’re handing out appearances it’s because the last time they played they they they they they performed very very well so it’s a difficult one but generally I’m I’m I’m not a fan of of rotation for the sake of rotation
Because it kills it kills it kills what I believe is the first thing about competitive Sport and the first thing about competitive sport is is earn everything you get it’s like when you you win the game you have to win it because you’ve earn it you win the trophy you win it because
You’ve ear it that’s what competitive sport is about nothing is given to you and so so when you give um starts to people because of just rotating and freshness and many other factors I think it kills the the basis of of what competitive sport is a competitive sport at the
End the the starting and the the the the the start and the end of competitive sport is meritocracy in my opinion thanks for transing the last two questions months since we last play the domestic League game is it going to require some mental shift for for the players for Wednesday and The Balancing
Act because now are and unbelievable yeah in fact I should have started with that um and thanks thanks for that MAA that one is um is a is a little bit of an emotional one because uh um um I grew up in in Orlando West as
You all know and which is a walking distance to what was known before as the Simba Sports Center is now known as the Nike Center and and from the Nike Center I’m I I I’m trying from the top of my head to to do the the the Geographics is about three or four
Houses before you get to the Nike center from from from from mapona Mall you on that road not the main road with Paraguana but the road of of getting into Nike Center is is is is at the stop sign is one two yeah three or four houses from the corner is where um
The the commi houses and the family stays there and um because of my history with with with the with the Orlando Pirates and and the family every time I went to the Nike Center or Simba grounds as a player even as a small kid that dayani treated me
Like his son up until the time I I went to work at Pirates he used to come and visit me and and and support and he was he’s he he has always been always been um an a father figure towards me and and when I heard the
News um really I I I broke down I I broke down not because of of of of the sadness of the the the situation because it death uh there’s a poem I I remember I remember we did in in in in high school was titled death be not proud and even
Though they you know you get you get the news of someone passing away almost every single day but we can’t get accustomed to it you know it still affects us and hits us very very very hard but this one hit me even harder because I could only picture what that
Aaster is going through because uh it’s not only the Sun but it’s also his beloved wife and and and so I think it’s very important that I use this platform to not only uh wish their souls a pie peaceful rest and and and that God welcomes them graciously with with his angels into
Into into a place of rest but also to extend his sincere and very heartfelt condolences to the to the Kanani family the the football fraternity as a whole because of the contribution that papy made but also because it goes beyond that is is is to lose two family members
In in a accident is extremely tragic and so really heartfelt condolences to the family and to the bereaved and um my prayers and my thoughts are are with that a is what an incredible human being I don’t know how many of you have had the privilege to to
Meet him and speak to him but was so so humble and and and so warm and and it’s just an unbelievable human being um yeah uh May may may their souls rest in peace and uh sincere thoughts and prayers are with them and uh they the bed and I
Speak not only on my behalf I speak on my behalf a little bit in the sense that of the relationship that I have with that e but I would like to extend that on behalf of the football club uh the MIP family our players and the and the technical team to to to
Everybody that um that unfortunately is affected by by by this uh this tragic news and and and yeah once again May their souls rest in peace um yeah difficult to to speak about football after you know uh but yeah the is is yeah that one is a very difficult
One very very difficult one very difficult um fortunately there’s a lot that we have to play for uh the league is not done there’s no there’s no league title that’s ever been won uh in November December so so we know what we have to do um but as I said
To you first is just to recover I think you’re tired of hearing me say this is drink lots of water get lots of sleep and then barefooted walks tomorrow and training and yeah but this is this the reality you know this is what we try to do do
Every day and and recover the recover the bodies and um do some some corrections and and a debrief Tomorrow there’s already work that’s been done but Adas uh Mario was already when already showing me some clips that I spoke about at half time and then what
Changed in the second half so so we will be showing that to the players tomorrow but yeah there’s a lot to play for very difficult game uh fortunately they also play against an Egyptian side so let’s see how that goes and uh then I start tonight cuz I haven’t also started on
Super Sport so I start tonight with with doing that analysis and and trying to give the players as much information for the preparation so we’ll start with that today you you’ve often in the past spoken about um how know the universe rewards mety and hard work I to the professor theek and he
Some nice to say about you the right steps you are but this not about you and I’m saying this you know how make you to see someone Likeing stars for because he’s getting to a point where he going to become bigger but you think he can come to and and and you know show us what his uh they there has to be two parts to my answer unfortunately and and I’ll try
To be very brief the the first part is is I I I’m humbled by by what the professor said and he he is one of the he’s one of the very few coach which is that I I am in touch with uh he he believe it or not he he sends me
Notes about the performance of the team almost every single day he sends me good luck messages almost every single day we speak at times based on our busy schedule he’s he gets busy and I get busy and we speak sometimes telephonically or or meet for for dinner and he’s he’s made incredible
Contributions to to South African football is a man that has has worked very very hard and has produced some incredible players in this country and so when you hear those type of words coming from uh from Prof it’s extremely humbling and and I just want to publicly
Thank him um and and and say I’m humbled by by those words and um he didn’t have to but he did and uh U coming from a man of his stature and his contribution to to South African football it means a lot um and I thank him and and I’m truly
Humbled the second part is I think is very simple because I don’t know what morena’s Ambitions are he’s done exceptionally well even when we’ve and when I say we are because I count myself as a South African because I am by birth a South African and I I I want the best
For this country especially from a football perspective and and he’s done very well when the country has given him an opportunity even with the kosaa cup and and and uh even in the past before with maluti college and and and and and and and his uh the facts are on the
Pitch I don’t know what his aims are because maybe his aims are even beyond the PSL so I can’t speak and say oh yeah let him Coach in the PSL what if his his Ambitions are even greater than coaching he wants maybe to coach in the Gulf or
Coach in North Africa or maybe even in Europe it’s possible because he’s shown his capacity based on the results he’s a champion in Botswana he’s he’s done exceptionally well when he’s when he’s been given the opportunity to lead the national team with the ksafa team so um it’s great
That we have uh South African coaches doing very very well on the continent and and particularly uh from outside of the borders of of of of their own country and um it inspires even many of us including myself to say you can coach outside South Africa and you can succeed and you can
Win um yeah but you still have a long way to go for me to be outside South Africa because I’m here at s for a very very long time so don’t
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