Despite the commendable work he has done at Polokwane City over the past few seasons in the Premier Soccer League (PSL), coach Phuti Mohafe continues to fly under the radar.
There are other coaches who are recognised and praised for doing more or less the same amount of work as Mohafe, and he suspects it’s because they are associated with the so-called big clubs.
Since he took over at “Rise and Shine” during the second round of 2023, the team finished in the top eight for three seasons in succession, and that is commendable for a club with limited resources.
City have not only produced good results consistently but they also play good football and contributed players to Bafana Bafana including Thabang Matuludi, Oswin Appollis and Rodney Maphangule.
At the current Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Morocco, where Bafana were eliminated in the last-16 stage by the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, City were represented by Matuludi.
Matuludi, who is believed to be wanted by several clubs in Gauteng, was one of the players who did not get minutes at Afcon, but he made Mohafe proud for making the final squad.
Mohafe has done a lot of good work in Polokwane with a team that does not have big-name players. There is no noise about him, but he doesn’t want to focus on things he cannot change.
“On that one [whether I have been appreciated enough by the public], I can’t give a straight answer,” said the soft-spoken 51-year-old.
“I don’t mind what is said about me and I don’t control who wants to recognise me or not, but I think the work that I am doing at Polokwane City speaks volumes. As people, we will never see things the same and we will never recognise things the same.”
Though it doesn’t bother him whether people sing his praises, Mohafe said coaches of the so-called big clubs are recognised more.
“Now I will be blunt and say I think we are giving coaches of the so-called big clubs a lot [more] credit than the ones who are working with the so-called smaller clubs.
“I will say for Polokwane City to compete in the top eight for the past three seasons in a row, it shows there is something good that we are doing here at the club. As a coach, I will also say there is something good that I am doing.”
For Polokwane City to compete in the top eight for the past three seasons in a row shows there is something good that we are doing at the club ... [and] something good that I am doing.
— Phuti Mohafe, Polokwane City coach
”Whoever recognises [it] is OK and whoever doesn’t recognise it is still OK.
“Look at the job that coach Adnan Beganovic is doing at TS Galaxy. But do you see him being recognised? He is not. I will also go to my mentor at Golden Arrows, Manqoba Mngqithi. Win or lose, he is always there. You go to coach Abdeslam Ouaddou at Pirates. He was at Marumo Gallants and this hype was not there. He is now at Pirates and look at what is going on.
“But it is fine with us. We will work our way up and one day we will be recognised. Coach Pitso Mosimane at SuperSport United was recognised here, but there was more recognition when he started winning cups.”
Modern football is evolving with new trends, and Mohafe is keeping up with coaching courses.
“I am currently working towards my Caf A-licence. I think it is going to equip me with the right tools for the job. If the pro licence is available at a later stage, I am also going to do it. I want to thank my chairman [Johnny Mogaladi] for sometimes allowing me to leave the team to go and study.”
City are currently on a mini-camp in preparation for the second half of the Betway Premiership, where Mohafe and his boys will be looking to cement a place in the top eight. Their first match of the year is against Durban City in Durban on January 25, where they will be looking to make it two wins in succession, as they ended last year with a win over Stellenbosch.
If they show consistency there is every possibility of them forcing their way into the top half of the table to join early-season pacesetters such as Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns, Sekhukhune United, Kaizer Chiefs and AmaZulu.
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