Conditioning coaches key to return to play

File photo of the Stormers

By Athenkosi Tsotsi

With the return to non contact training for professional rugby imminent, it will be up to the strength and conditioning coaches to get the players in top shape, thus making them the most important personnel during this phase of return to play.

Strength and Conditioning coaches are the backbones of the head coaches backroom staff, their work can go unnoticed but they play a vital role in the teams performance dynamics. 

"A conditioning coach primarily works with athletes and is responsible for improving athletic performance. Their daily duties are to implement systematic training programs for both teams and individual athletes and working closely with coaches," Stormers Strength and Conditioning coach Riefaat Jappie elaborating on what a conditioning coach does.

With the game evolving to new heights, the role of a conditioning coach in modern rugby has become key, they help sustain and enhance the performance levels of players with their meticulous planning.

"The role of a conditioning coach is very important for preparing and monitoring players to perform and train optimally every week and to withstand the high demands of the game that involves high collisions, sprints and accelerations and at the same time reducing athletic injuries."

 The pausing of rugby due to the lockdown had implications on the players fitness, routines had put in place for players, for coach Jappie, he had to be clever in his planning as he had to accommodate players based on the resources they have in their respective environments.

"Due to restrictions in the first part of the lockdown players could not run and running is a very important factor in all team sports.  The space availability, running surfaces and equipment was different for each player and I had to adjust accordingly. As the lockdown got extended players also started losing strength and muscle mass due to not having the appropriate equipment.

I had to put routines in place that suits every player’s daily routines.  Therefore, it was more what must be done in the week or on a day and so that the player can fit it in his daily routine. I had to be flexible with the planning and had to design training options for all types of space availability and equipment players had at their disposal," said Jappie. 

For the Lions Strength and Conditioning  Rupert Oberholster, he has been fairly pleased with fitness levels his players have attained during the lockdown. 

"To be honest, as a group, we are probably fitter than what we were after our December break. We have a lot of individuals that are running personal bests on specific fitness tests. Unfortunately, a few players’ circumstances made it difficult to run, but we are working hard in getting them fit and ready to go.  

We really put a lot of effort into the players over the past 70+ days to ensure that they are all training hard and improving on all aspects of their conditioning. Level 4 of lockdown made it easier to prescribe running programs to everyone, and I used a GPS app to monitor the players every day," said Oberholster.

The likes of Vincent Tshituka, Jaco Kriel and Rhyno Herbst have recovered from their respective injuries thanks to the lockdown, and it will be up to the conditioning coach to ease them back to intense first team training.

"Injured players follow a strict return to play protocol that would include straight-line running, agility drills, rugby specific drills and extra fitness on the wattbike or rowers. As soon as they have cleared all medical tests and built up their running loads, they will join the team’s training. We then track their loads on our GPS system, for the first few weeks."

SA Rugby announced plans for an in house Super Rugby version tournament which will include the Bulls, Stormers, Sharks, Cheetah, Kings and the Lions. Before the tournament commences there will be a 4-6 week window period which will be used to allow players to get to competition levels fitness, the conditioning coaches will play a major role in ensuring this is possible.

"Our main focus will be to get the players bodies ready to play a game as soon as possible. The Covid-19  regulations that are in place make it really difficult to get their bodies ready for contact, without being able to make actual contact with other players. But we have some exciting ideas and we are confident that we will have them 100% ready for contact before the first game.

Competition level fitness is basically the fitness level a player should reach before being able to play in a specific competition. To this end, Super rugby’s physical demands regarding running fitness, contact fitness, positional fitness are massive and the player’s bodies must be able to take the hits and loads every weekend for +-22 weeks," explained Oberholster.

The importance of a conditioning coach can not be understated, during this period of return to play, their value will be more evident.

"Pocketing Neymar was never my intention"- Mobara

By Athenkosi Tsotsi

Mobara and Neymar, photo from Reuters.

The 2016 Rio Olympics, for South Africa, was characterized by brilliant individual performance's from the likes of record-breaking Wayde van Niekerk, Caster Semenya and Luvo Manyonga; another standout performer from those games was Abbubaker Mobara during the opening game of the Olympics against Brazil.

In that hot afternoon in Brasilia, the then 22 year old right back was the coolest person on the field. Mobara provided a classical defensive display, textbook defending, he played like a player who had reached their pinnacle with no sign of letting up. Many Brazilians must have thought that their legendary fullback Carlos Alberto had been reincarnated, that performance was one that Cafu could be proud off.

The occasion was momentous, the opening game to the football Olympic games. The magnitude of the game was situated at the top with some of the biggest games in the world of football, well for the Brazilian public as it meant a lot to them, they probably were not paying much attention to the other events at the Olympics. They had their eye's fixed on the Olympic Gold medal that they missed all these years. The moment and pressure of being on the world stage did not cripple Mobara for one second, the man was carried by his nonchalant persona.

"It was a normal feeling, but at the same time it was overwhelming because I was not sure what to feel. I was not sure if I was feeling anxious, nervous or proud. But knowing that I was about to go head to head with one of the BEST international teams in the world, that just so happened to have one of the Best players in the world," said Mobara.

The Mane Garrincha Stadium, hosted the opening game between Brazil and South Africa, the stadium was packed to full capacity, 69, 389 people were in the crowd and plenty more outside the stadium, in the streets. The whole process of heading to the stadium and arriving to large sum of football fanatics is one Mobara has savoured.

"On arrival at the stadium the team sang as much as they could & as loud as they could to have a good atmosphere amongst us & to set aside the fear knowing that we about to go against the host (Brazil) as our first game.”

“I knew there was no turning back, there was no other feeling but a huge adrenaline going through my body. I felt the nervousness kick in because I knew it was going to happen there & then from that point there was no turning back, I knew what needed to be done so I made sure that I tried to keep focus & not let the nervousness affect me. But then I walked out onto the field & I saw the crowd & at that point I knew there no room for errors. This crowd could have easily flushed out my confidence but seeing how hyped up my teammates were made me feel some sought of relief."

No amount of practice could prepare one to face one of the most talented attacking unit the Olympics has seen. The front three bolstered with the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Barbosa and Neymar. Owen Da Gama prepared his team and defensive unit well, and Mobara can testify to that.

"Our preparation prior to the Olympics was done so well, that all Coach Owen needed to do was remind us what we needed to do as a team, is to win. He reminded us what our duties and responsibilities were as a team and as individuals; but also told us enjoy our game.”

“At the beginning of the preparations we already knew who we were going to face and who was in our group. I think Coach Owen Da Gama always reminded me who I was going up against and always challenged me aggressively because he knew the capabilities I had and I acknowledged what he was trying to bring across. I also  had a good amount of individual teammates that had that same skill sets as Neymar and with that made it a bit easier going forward into the Olympics."

Goosebumps were all over us, who were watching the game in South Africa. We were beaming with excitement and expectation as we were going to face Brazil for the second time in the Olympics and we genuinely believed we could beat them again, it was like we were facing our Olympic rivals. 

Well the emotions were different for the guys who were dawning the national team jersey on the field. "I was nervous throughout the game. From the moment we walked  into the tunnel seeing Neymar , seeing the whole Brazil team seeing how big, proud & confident they were made me feel more intimidated," explained Mobara.

"Lining up to start the game, walking out onto the field I knew that my faith was in one place. I asked God to guide me throughout the game and to help me make the proper decisions going forward. When I heard the whistle go off, it was game on and all thoughts aside and the one objective on my mind was to make myself and my country proud. I remembered at that point Coach David Kannemeyer telling me that my first pass is the most important pass, but this time round instead of a pass, it was the tackle. I had missed a tackle that blew my confidence and gave me an idea of what type of game I was about to have."

Throughout the match Mobara's side were under attack, that was were Brazil's attacking powers were, he would have many encounters with Neymar, eventually man marking and making some hard hitting tackles to stamp his authority on the match, keeping the then Barcelona man at bay and putting him in his pocket. 

"Pocketing Neymar was never my intention but I knew as a defender what I needed to do. I had to be patient , I had to watch his movement and at the same time I needed to watch the ball. At some point during the game I remember the referee telling me 'be patient and you’ll win the battle' so that’s exactly what I did. I did not acknowledge the fact that I had the upper hand because we were not in the lead but he still kept coming and I kept pushing. "

                              Team photo of the SA Under/23 national team

Mobara and his teammates grinded a hard fought draw, where their legs were wired as Brazil kept coming. Brazil after the match got off the field to a raw of boos while it was delight for South Africa. Faith and trust were the combination that pulled things together for Mobara.

"I still believe that at this point my faith was in one place and I definitely did not do it on my own, my teammates kept guiding me, kept pushing me and kept encouraging me. Seeing my captain and my teammates pushing, made me even more confident to keep my game at 100.”

“I did not even believe that happened. I did not know what to feel but I was proud. We were happy about the result but we also knew that we had more important games coming up that’s what kept us level headed.”

Playing at the Olympics is an opportunity afforded to only a few footballers. Mobara took his chance and shined at the one of the biggest stages of the sporting world, that's a moment he will cherish forever and many South Africans will remember him for many years to come because of that performance in Brasilia, the game he pocketed Neymar.

"It was one of my best and one of my biggest games I’ve ever experienced. Being part of the Olympics, I was more humbled by the experience than the exposure," concluded Mobara.

Running Pio....

By Athenkosi Tsotsi

Pio Mpolokeng

Many young South Africans in the pre democracy era worked in the mines, and to keep busy they they played sports; the mines have unearthed many sporting gems and one of those golden treasurers is Klerskdorp born Pio  Mpolokeng.

 From running in the mines, to becoming one of the best athletes in country then evolving to an esteemed world runner. From humble beginnings, Ntate Pio went on to have a prosperous running career.

"I started my athletics career in 1984, then in 1990 I joined a mine in Stelfontein at the Harterbeesfontein Gold mine which was under the Anglo Vaal company, it is about 10km away from my home town.

I was a 800m and 1500m specialist, I won the Anglo Vaal Championship for four consecutive years between 1990 - 1993; won both the 800m and 1500m. Then in early in 1994 I moved to Carletonville and that's where I joined the Westerdriefontein Gold mine. When I got there I was still dominant in my events but there was tough competition from the likes of the the Mogotsi twins, Meshack and Shadrack; there were many top athletes," shared Mpolokeng. 

When at Westerdriefontein Mpolokeng was under the guidance of one of the greatest running coaches to come out of the shores of South Africa. "In Westerdriefontein I got a new coach in Mr. Stoffie Stoffburg, I joined his strong training group which included Hendrick Moganyetsi, Johan Botha, Arnando Malherbe and Jean Vester; I was travelling from Carletonville to the University of Johannesburg for training, everyday. But then unfortunately in 1997 Oom Stoffie passed away." 

Following the passing of his mentor, Mpolokeng took an important career decision, moving to marathons, that decision would be prove to be worthy as it took  him to greater heights.

"I decided to change distance and moved to the road. My first race 15km race in June 1997, it was in Germiston Stadium and I won my first race. Then in 1999 I moved to the full marathon, my first marathon was in Cape Town at the Peninsula Marathon, I won with my pb (Personal Best) of 2:18:22."

After doing well locally, the next step for Mpolokeng was to move onto the international scene, and when he arrived there, he did not disappoint, when he got there his star continued to rise. 

"It was in November 2000 when I started to run international marathon's, the first one was in the United State of America at the Los Angeles Marathon where I finished fourth. I won the Dublin City Marathon in 2001, it was the first international marathon, then the following year I won the Pyongyang Marathon in North Korea." 

During his highs in the early 2000's Mpolokeng was putting measures in place for life after running, he was focusing on his coaching career, concentrating on development. A key component in his coaching career has been Nick Bester, the two have have discovered more than 200 athletes.

Mpolokeng has a good track record as a coach, his developed some of the countries elite runners including the likes of Tshepo Tsibe, Nyedimane Chabedi, Kgosi Tshosane, David Mania and Joel Mmone. National recognition came for Mpolokeng when he was named cross country coach.

"In 2017 I was selected as a national coach for the Cross Country World Championships in Madagascar, the country was represented six athletes; three male athletes and three female  athletes and three of them were from my development"

Mpolokeng scouts and develops athletes are the region of North West, his athletes stay in a safe camp and attend school at Are- Fadimeheng High School in Klerksdorp. Like many in the sporting world, the development  has felt the impact of the coronavirus, their development athletes have been sent home as the running season has been suspended. 

"We sat down with our development athletes and explained to them what the Covid - 19 is and the lockdown regulations are, it was not easy but they understood. Our athletes stay at home and follow the lockdown regulations, all our development athletes are not training; only senior athletes are doing easy training once a day," elaborated Mpolokeng.

The uncertainty the has been brought by the pandemic can not be underestimated but Mpolokeng has pleaded for togetherness from the sporting world during this time.

"For now there is no one that knows what is going to happen, because the covid 19 is a global thing. All sport codes are closed for now, there's nothing we can do. In general we have to work together and fight against covid 19 to protect our sports and athletes," 

The rush to get back to the running field must be high for Mpolokeng and his athletes , there's plenty to come from the running great.

When 'Terror' Fanteni caused terror in Israel

By Athenkosi Tsotsi

File Photo

Nickname's are an integral part of South African football. Nicknames often give players the feel of acceptance, they can also make or break a player. One of the most famous nicknames in South Africa is "Terror", one person who carried this nickname is Thembinkosi Fanteni. 

Thembinkosi Fanteni was given the nickname 'Terror' by his youth coach due to how he “Terrorises' defences.” Fanteni started terrorising defences in the Absa Premiership when he was at Ajax Cape Town and soon he moved to European shore in Israel when he caused terror in the Ligat ha'Al playing for Maccabi Haifa.

Thembinkosi Fanteni joined Maccabi Haifa mid season  in January of 2008, it only took five games for the Paarl born native to cause terror in Israel. He announced himself to Maccabi Haifa the only way he knows how, by striking the back of the net; he scored a brace against Maccabi Netanya. He continued his fine form in the next game by scoring against Kiryat Shmona. The man was living up to his nickname.

Fanteni's finest moment upon his arrival came in one of the biggest derby in Israel, Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv are renowned rivals in the world of football. Maccabi Haifa hosted Maccabi Tel Aviv, this was a big game and Terror came alive. 

The game began in unpopular fashion for Fanteni's Maccabi Haifa as they fell behind early on in the to a Adam Masudi goal. However, Maccabi Tel Aviv's lead would not last long as Fanteni levelled matters minutes later. On the stroke of halftime 'Terror' scored his second goal of the game, giving Maccabi Haifa a 2-1 lead at the interval. In the second half, at the hour mark, Adam Masudi equalised to get Maccabi Haifa back in the game. In an instant though, three minutes later Fanteni got his third goal of the game to restore his teams one goal lead. Terror was had quite an eventful afternoon, as by the 77th minute he went into the referee’s book. With 10 minutes left in the game, Maccabi Tel Aviv took the game to 3-3 courtesy of a goal from Dor Malul and that's how the game would end.

A hatrick against Maccabi Tel Aviv was what Fanteni couldn't have imagined. That was an experience and moment to treasure, as the lively feisty display surely made Terror a cult hero to the Maccabi Haifa fans, instantly. He ended his first season with six goals in 14 games, a decent start to life in Israel, that start left room for high expectations for Fanteni from the club and its fans. 

"They expect me to score a lot of goals, there was lots of talk before I came to Maccabi Haifa, they are expecting so much from me," said Fanteni in an interview. 

Moving to a new country is always difficult, one of the toughest things in football as players have to adjust to a new challenges such as squad integration, language barriers, lifestyle misfit, and missing of family. Fanteni had his fair share of going through that tribulation but as time went on he settled it with the rest of the Maccabi Haifa squad. 

"I'm not isolated anymore as I when I first came to Maccabi Haifa; all the players are like my brothers now, I know them very well, we are close to each other, I can talk to anyone now". When asked if he can lead Maccabi Haifa to the championship and the promise land of the UEFA Champions League, Terror Fanteni replied "I prefer not to talk, we'll have to wait and see." 

In  the 2008/09 season Fanteni, like an MVP, lead Maccabi Haifa to the promise land. In their run to being league champions he contributed with 11 goals being the clubs top scorer. The season for Terror was epitomised by a series of braces. The first one was against Maccabi Petah Tikva, the second against his favourite opponents Maccabi Tel Aviv, the last one came against Kiryat Shmona in 2-1 win. During the course of the season, Fanteni was booked seven times, he was truly causing terror in Israel. 

Thembinkosi Fanteni went to Israel and conquered. He terrorised defences, brought joy to the fans by scoring goals and with celebrations. If the man would visit Maccabi Haifa he would be given a hero's welcome, because he left his mark on the field in Israel.

Coronavirus affecting youth sports...

By Athenkosi Tsotsi

  File photo

The coronavirus outbreak has left youth sports hanging in  limbo. The pandemic has affected youth sports and its athletes on a financial, psychological and social spectrum. 

Parents have lost money to pay for sporting activities, be it for school or local clubs, money has gone down the drain and it will be hard to recover it, considering the fact that during these tough financial times, every cent is needed. Many people have taken pay cuts and some have been retrenched; amongst these people are parents whose children participate in youth sports. It is going to be difficult for many to support their children's sporting aspirations, financially. This domino effect will ultimately lead to youth sport institutions going through a financial crisis. Mainstream and amateur sporting clubs will also feel the financial strain, many are dependent on the sale of youth prospects to keep afloat financially.

The sporting routine of millions of youth players has been disturbed. Some had prepared to have their seasons in full swing this time, but due to the circumstances brought by the coronavirus, they are now probably rocked and devastated. How are children from the ages of 6-18 years  handling the suspension of sport on a psychological aspect, are they maintaining?

For many children sport is an escape from the harsh realities of life. Sports gives them purpose, a sense of belonging and now with sport out the window frustration is expected to be at a high. Truth is that many youth athletes are in a state of frustration, many are anxious because of the uncertainty that has been laid by the pandemic.

Some had hopes of improving their trade or making certain teams but those dreams are shuttered. A lot of athletes are devastated now, some do not have the proper support structure to help them deal with the disappointment they are going through. They may have to live with this disappointment for the rest of their lives and will have regret hovering around even though it's not their doing.

School based sports are not returning anytime soon and this will take a huge toll on children's social lives. Putting aside the formal school sport activities, the informal games kids play in the sports ground during break time at school are cancelled. Schools do not have the infrastructure and medical resources to ensure the safety of its athletes.

South African Rugby took the measures of cancelling all youth tournaments; all SA Rugby Youth Weeks, SA Rugby Under/13 and Under/17 Sevens, SA Schools Under/18 competition, SA Rugby Provincial Under/19 week and SA Rugby Provincial Under/20 competition. Club and community rugby where many youth play has been postponed until further notice but the point of return is impossible. 

The cancellation of the World Rugby Under/20 Championship which was suppose to be hosted in Italy is probably a hard one to swallow for many players. The tournament plays the role of a stepping stone, it is able to give players exposure and experience on the world stage.

"It is obviously very disappointing for Chean Roux, his players and the team management, but these drastic steps are vital to ensure the safety of the players, team management and match officials. I would like to thank the players, coaches, and management for all their hard work in the last few months, and encourage them to keep on putting the hard yards albeit outside of a team set-up given the current need for social distancing," said SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux.

In order to grasp and understand the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has had on youth football in South Africa, I spoke with Transnet School of Excellence coach, Mojalefa Mathebula. Below is the interview.

Athenkosi Tsotsi: Before this pandemic hit, what was the state of youth football in South Africa?

Mojalefa Mathebula: By virtue of sheer numbers of participants and the fragmented nature of youth development, it is very difficult to quantify this objectively.   However, my personal (subjective) opinion is that youth development was not in a good state going into Lockdown. Although in Gauteng were had a good youth development league going (GDL), the was few concerning developments such as the withdrawal of sponsors for youth tournaments. 

A.T : The pandemic, has it exposed the frailties or strengths of our youth football in some form? 

M.M : I think the pandemic exposed more of frailties in youth football than it showed our strengths. Very few youth structures have been able to use technology (Zoom) to stay in contact with their players. DATA and access to better hardware such as superior quality screens was the most prohibiting factor. Socio-economic background also played a role such as inadequate nutrition, lack of better health care access, small yards and finance as these factors made difficult to exercise, but also heighten fear risks.  Our strength is definitely our die hard attitude, I see the enthusiasm to go back, and that gives me hope.

A.T : Youth football is unlikely to return this year, how is this affecting the many players, not only as athletes but as humans?

M.M : Psychological because most players will feel like they have been denied an opportunity to take a step closer towards their dream. Physically they are going to loss their fitness which will make it difficult to return to playing. Technically, they are going to struggle with their ability to play for a short while that will be frustrating for some. Tactically they are missing out on age-related training and curriculum.

 

A.T : On a financial aspect, how has the pandemic affected youth football financially?

M.M : Well, companies are going to cut back on their expenditure and sport will be the first item. As most youth development are reliant on sponsorship  for their operation. We are likely to see some of these institution closing down or cutting back on the number of players they recruit. Also, things such as football equipment, kit or attire, food and transport will become a luxury for many Clubs going forward and we might see many Clubs withdrawing their teams from organized football to save cost.

  

A.T : You as a coach, how are your players taking this and what measures do you have in place to ensure to keep your players mentally stable?

M.M :  Well, generally I am cut off from the players but we communicate through the parents. We shared FIFA 11+ to follow and other motivational information.

  

A.T : Lastly, this pandemic gives the powers that be to do introspection, in your view what needs to change in order to ensure youth football goes to greater places.

M.M : Well, I think this pandemic showed that we can include technology to enhance our teaching and learning experience for both players and coaches. So investing in Technology will be one of my priority going forward.

With professional sports in South Africa at the point of return, there is hope for youth sports but the cracks created by the coronavirus will have a lasting impact.

When all is said and done, Mere goes down a Legend

by Athenkosi Tsotsi

                                       Photo Supplied

The word legend get thrown away casually these days, some players are cult heros but get the tag legend, someone deserving to be called a legend is Vuyo Mere. 


Longevity is something that is rare in South African football, we have seen players come and go, some who had immense potential to go on and be greats. Reality is, if you do not take care of football then it will not take care of you. Vuyo Mere has nurtured football and to a certain extent it has done the same for him too.

 A footballer to many, but to his close ones he's a husband, son, father, brother, friend and a believer in God. Throughout his career Vuyo Mere has seen the hand of God, through the ups and downs, his faith has carried him in his illustrious career.


"No one can take credit [for career] but God. He blessed me with great parents, coaches, family and mostly a heart willing to survive. Without my God none of these things would be possible,"  said Mere.


Mere has had a career that has warranted him to be a Premier Soccer League era legend, playing for some of the best teams in the country, having countless games under his belt and having a couple of trophies including league titles and domestic trophies. From playing for his fathers team to the top level, that is something the man from Bloemfontein imagined in childhood when he was playing the game in avoidance of household duties.


"Truly speaking I did not see myself as a professional footballer. I just played for fun and I just wanted to run away from doing house chores at home. My dad owned a team and he always said to me that he wanted to take the kids in our neighborhood off the streets and help them stay away from all the negative things life threw at us. So I actually was not aware of the fact I could make a living out of football. Funny enough we had a professional team in Bloemfontein but I never saw myself there until the later stage of my youth," said Mere.


Unfortunately Mere did not turn up for his hometown club, he would get an opening at Hellenic. You know the phrase "Things Fall Apart" from author Chinua Achebe's book or, hip hop group The Roots album title, well Hellenic FC echoed the same sentiments, literally. When things were falling apart at Hellenic, a young Vuyo Mere was in limbos, but the hand of God would be evident, securing the then youngster a move to one of the country's biggest teams, Mamelodi Sundowns.He would grab the opportunity at hand by a choke hold and go on to be a vital part of a very successful Mamelodi Sundowns team. 

                        Photo Supplied

"Mamelodi Sundowns, the turn around in my career. Just when I thought my career was finished at Hellenic after the team had just been sold; there was my God at it again, placing me in a place where every footballer, if not all,  wants see themselves. My time at Mamelodi Sundowns was just amazing, playing with the big name players and getting all the exposure was just out of this world. I became a household name because of playing with the greats of the game. We won trophies and that just built my confidence,  I really felt like one of SA’s best players. Started representing my country whilst at Sundowns, so that has to be the most exciting time of my career," said Mere.


The team that won back to back league titles in the 05/06 - 06/07 seasons is remembered as one of the best in the Premier Soccer League era. It had the likes of Surprise Moriri, Godfrey Sapula, Esrom Nyandoro, and many more.  Vuyo Mere was integral to that success, and the process to achieving that feat is something he remembers vividly. 


"Winning back to back league titles was just a blessing from God. We were blessed with a great President in Mr. Motsepe and he invested a lot of money in the team and he assembled the greatest team in our era then. We had great pre season training schedule which saw us compete with the likes of Boca Juniors, Tottenham and Real Sociedad. That was a great foundation for the upcoming seasons which we won the double league titles. We were like a family even off the field. It was just an amazing time. It was difficult to compete in the league but because we believed in ourselves and understood the President’s vision for the club, he was willing to give us money just to see the team succeed and  we did just that," said Mere.


Now at the height of his career peaking, one of the best in his position, the national team, Bafana Bafana would be the next step for Vuyo Mere in his career. Many young footballers dream of representing their country as it is a huge honour. Representing Bafana Bafana was a proud moment for Vuyo Mere and his family.

                         Photo Supplied


"That is one of the proudest moments in my career, I remember playing my first match for Bafana Bafana, my dad flew up from Bloemfontein to Johannesburg to come watch me play. He told me about all the compliments he got when people spoke to him. I had made my family proud, I will always thank God for that. I was playing my best football at that time, for club and country, but having to get to rub shoulders with the internationals, I mean players who played in England, Spain, Greece and Russia, the experience was just out of this world. I remember playing alongside Benni McCarthy, Macbeth Sibaya, Aaron Mokoena, Bradley Carnell, Sibusiso Zuma, Steven Pienaar, etc. That was when I realised that I can even go further in my career and make my family prouder," said Mere.


After years at Mamelodi Sundowns, Vuyo Mere would be released. Now a free agent in the wilderness, well the hand of God would push him to Platinum Stars in the North West. Vuyo Mere revived his career and went on to peak again, enjoying a successful spell at Dikwena.

                         Photo Supplied

"Before my spell at Dikwena, I remember being released by Mamelodi Sundowns and I was clubless for about three months, which in my opinion now was a blessing in disguise. So when I got there I had to undergo a trial period in order to secure a deal, so I had to work my butt off to land a contract. I could not be arrogant or be full of myself, I was not from Sundowns anymore, I was from home. When I was given a chance to play football again I could not stop praising and thanking God for a second chance. I did some introspection and I knew  I could not do the same mistakes that saw me being released by Downs. I enjoyed my football again and I never looked back, I went on to lead the team for so many seasons and in the process winning two trophies. The best time yet again in my career. 


There was God again proving that I am capable of achieving anything through Him. We had what many would call an average team but the talent and belief in that team was just out of this world. We had one of the best facilities in the continent and we put them to good use and as you know the saying goes that if you work hard, pray hard, believe enough and have your Faith as big as a mustard seed then something has to give, we had two trophies to show for it," said Mere.


De javu, do you believe in it? Well, for Vuyo Mere he must have believed in it when things were falling apart at Platinum Stars and it was having administrative change, history was repeating its self, it was the nightmare of Hellenic all over again. Everyone who watched Platinum Stars knew Vuyo Mere adored the club and to see the wheels coming off crippled Mere and many.

                    Photo Supplied

"The family environment of the Dikwena family, was amazing. I always looked up to waking up and going to training at Platinum Stars. When you go to work it was not just about work, the personalities we had in the team were just amazing and the people of Rustenburg made us feel like we belonged there and treated us with respect and I can only thank them for their hospitality and warm treatment they gave us.


 When we heard about the team being sold I was personally disturbed because I had planned to retire at Dikwena and work for the team beyond my playing days. I was in discussions with Mr. Cliff Ramoroa the Chairman of the team at the time who mentioned something about me being involved in the development structures of the team; I was ecstatic because I knew my future was secured. I was really heartbroken when the team was finally sold, we lost many players and staff members who were there for long a time. My future was just collapsing in front of me, but I believed that everything happened for a reason," said Mere.


Platinum Stars persihsed but Vuyo Mere's stay in the Absa Premiership would continue, this time the hand of God steered him to Bidvest Wits. Gavin Hunt acquired the services of the veteran and managed to get the best of him. Things at the end did not work and Vuyo Mere was released and underwent a testing period in his career as he had no club for sometime.

                        Photo Supplied

"There I was again being blessed with another professional team after my setback at Dikwena, I was part of the Bidvest Wits team that obviously is always blessed with many talented names, I considered myself very lucky to be part of Coach Gavin’s team. It was always going to be hard to cement my place in the team because they had great defenders. I worked hard and finally got my chance to play and I never disappointed, I did my best every time I was given a chance. To be honest I really thought the team would re-new my contract but it was not to be. I had the best time at Wits, had great interactions with everyone in the team and many were surprised I was released, but I did not have bad feelings towards anyone because thats the nature of the game, so I had to move on. 


I struggled again for a few months to find a team, which was the most difficult time of my career, those were some tough times. That is when things get real, you start noticing small things like who is there for you and who is not. You just become paranoid. I thought to myself that it was all done for me when I was released by Wits because no one even wanted to give me a trial, it was heart breaking. Yes I knew at some point things will be bad but not that bad. I was just worried about my kids, mom,  brother and my wife because those are the people who are mostly proud of me, having to disappoint them was just a torture. I could not sleep at night and I lost weight but they all believed in me. 


My brother Sipho would say "you are too blessed to be without a job, hang in there an something will come up," those words  remained in my head and they made me even more appreciative of my brother, love him to the fullest," said Mere.


Indeed his brothers words came to life, the hand of God pushed Vuyo Mere to Moroka Swallows to help with the resurrection of the Dube Birds. Vuyo Mere is one of the senior players at the clun and goes about providing guidance to the youngsters at Moroka Swallows.

                    Photo Supplied

"I really don't know how to thank my President, Mr. Panyaza Lesufi and my Chairman Mr. David Mogashoa for giving me yet another lifeline. When no one wanted to open the door for me they came to my rescue and gave me a home. I can't really say thank you enough to them. The only way to thank them is to give back and play my best football to get the team back into the PSL. We have a great team and a great technical team,  the spirit in the team is just amazing. 


I really want thank my Captain Lebogang Mokoena for convincing Coach Zeca Marques to give me a chance to play again when no one wanted to give a chance. I grabbed the opportunity with both hands and I pray to God that He blesses our hustle and give us the strength to gain promotion. 


We have lots of youngsters and its my duty to guide them, to allow them to enjoy their football. We have a few senior guys in the team and they are all great players. We always share our stories just to motivate the young ones and make sure that they are always on the right path. I am having the time of my life at Swallows and credit again must go to Coach Brandon Trutter. He is an amazing coach who is supposed to be coaching in the higher leagues and its a pleasure working with him and his team," said Mere.


Vuyo Mere has been in football for a very long time, seen it all, ups and downs and he has learnt so many things from the game.


"I have learnt so many things in footbal and some they just go hand in hand with life in general; 1: is to always be humble no matter your position or situation in life; 2: always appreciate what you have because it can be taken away in a wink of an eye; 3: always thank God with everything you have and don't have because God knows whats good for you; 4:Never disrespect the game in anyway because it will humble you in a bad way; 5: You need to save so much money from football to help you during the dark days of unemployment because its certain that it will happen. I have travelled so much because of the game and learnt about so many cultures that I did not even think I would encounter," said Mere.

                         Photo Supplied


In his career Vuyo Mere has always had the backing of his family. They have experienced his footballing career with him, all the trails and tribulations and pleasures they have shared with him.


"My Family has been with me since day one, they have been everything to me, I mean everything. I really do not want to see them disappointed at all. After losing a match or having a bad game I always think for them because people will always say bad things about me and I some times wish I could be there with them so that the insults can come to me. My mom is acting as both my mom and dad now, shes just been amazing and I thank God for her happy soul. She is my number one supporter and my brother also is always in my corner, my wife and kids. I really don't know what I would be without them," said Mere.


When all is said and done, when Vuyo Mere hangs up his boots, he will be dubbed a legend, one of the best from his generation. What the future holds for the man from Bloemfontein, only God knows, surely his hand will have to keep him in football.


"Its very difficult to predict the future, if it was my will I would want to continue in the game, giving back my years of experience to the young ones. Football is everything to me, I don't see myself doing anything else but once again life will humble you,  so I better broaden my vision and look for all the options that can help me sustain my family after my playing days" concluded Mere.

Its Muller time...

by Athenkosi Tsotsi

                                 File photo of Muller Uys

"I have always been a Blue Bulls fan, I loved how they played, how they dominated teams; growing up in the Western Cape, I never thought I would play for the Blue Bulls," who knew Muller Uys grew up a Blue Bulls fan?


For many players, across all sporting codes, falling down the perching order is disastrous. But for Muller Uys, it was a blessing in disguise, as things went south at Western Province an opportunity in the north arose in the form of the Blue Bulls.


"In my second year at Western Province, things did not work out, I was behind youngsters such as Ernst van Rhyn, Cobus Wise, Juarno Augustus; who are all incredible. I knew I had to think about moving on if I wanted to take my career forward; so when my agent told me about the opportunity at the Blue Bulls I super excited, I grew up a Blue Bulls fan and I was happy to join," said Uys.


Upon joining his new franchise, Muller went on to captain the U/21 side and eventually go on to winning the SA Rugby U/21 Championship.


"I had never been captain before, I have only been vice captain. Growing up I looked up to captains like John Smith and Jean de Villiers, as I got older I looked at Siya Kholisi, I always tried to be a bit like them. I was privileged and honoured  to captain the U/21 side, it was a great learning curve for me and an awesome experience. The guys around me made it easy. 


Winning the U/21 Championship was awesome. In the last few years I have always lost in the semi finals and to win it was good. The guys were motivated to win it, it was great," said Uys.


After that successful period with the U/21, a jump to the first team was imminent, Muller Uys joined the first team for preseason and impressed on arrival showing great potential. An injury sustained in a preseason match would prove to be a setback for the youngster.


"It is obviously a huge step up from the U/21 level to the first team, its much more physical and quicker. You can not just pitch up and go through the motions, you have to want to improve and learn something new everyday, just have to keep on improving. 
I got a starting spot in a preseason game and it only lasted for 30 seconds as I got injured, I was very unlucky. I could have got the chance to prove myself and show what I am made off. So I was out for two weeks and I had to work hard to get myself back in the team, I learned from that, it helped me to work harder," said Uys.


The hard work eventually paid, Muller Uys bounced back stronger from his injury to secure a starting birth and finally make his debut against the Highlanders. In his debut at 8th man, Uys was dominate, giving a great individual performance and team went on to win their first game of the season, a moment Muller Uys will cherish for dear life.


"It was a great team performance, we had our backs against the wall, we had not won a game before that. 


But for me everything felt different in that week, there was a relaxed vibe in the squad. Then during the Monday meeting when they announced that I was going to play and make my debut;I was excited. It was a huge honour for me to finally play for the Blue Bulls. Then afterwards the coach said I had to be in the lineouts with Ruan Nortje, obviously that is extra pressure, now I had to perform and win the lineouts, then I started stressing. 


Luckily the experienced guys, especially the front row, Trevor Nyakane and Lizo Gqoboka made it easy for me to be calm and do my job. Everything happened so quickly that week, I only managed to sleep the day after I made my debut," said Uys.


Blue Bulls coach Pote Human has spoken highly of the 21 year old, dubbing him a Blue Bulls legend in the making, Muller Uys welcomes the expectations. The two have formed a good relationship.


"Coach Pote is a great coach, he knows when to push you hard and when to lift you up when you are a having a tough session. Its always good to play for a coach that backs you. I have learned a lot from him.


I think it is important to have expectations and goals, each season I set them out and each week I go out to reach those goals," said Uys.


This seasons goals have been put on hold due to the coronavirus global pandemic. Uys is keeping fit and looking forward to the return of rugby and has urged Blue Bulls fans to keep safe as they will be reunited in Loftus Versfeld soon.

Sanele Nohamba staying true to himself

by Athenkosi Tsotsi

                                  File photo of Sanele Nohamba

Throughout his meteoric rise in rugby, Sharks scrum half Sanele Nohamba has stayed true to himself, the Alice native has not forgotten the values his parents instilled in him.


Nohamba has made steady strides in his career so far, his displays in last seasons Currie Cup and this seasons Super Rugby campaign have seen him receive sound praise from rugby fanatics. A solid childhood and enabling family environment played an instrumental role in unearthing the talented scrum half.


"My childhood was chilled, it was fun I had lots of friends, we were just playing all sorts of sports, just having fun in the streets. My family has always been loving and supportive regardless of what I did, it was a really cool environment to be raised in; I has lots of fun with my mother, father and siblings.


My parents raised me well, they are good people, they are Church people. One thing they gave me is the ability to be myself all the times and not to try and be something else just to be accepted by other people. My family has guided me in the right path," said Nohamba.


Many do not get to experience their childhood dreams come to life, Sanele Nohamba acknowledges his fortunate to be living his dream of being a professional rugby player, and to be starring for the Sharks. At the Sharks, Nohamba gets to rub shoulders and learn from seasoned players.


"I am living my dream right now, it is something I have always wanted to do from a very young age. I am extremely grateful and humbled to be doing what I do, I am extremely grateful. I am having fun and enjoying it a lot.


It has been amazing playing with guys like Lukhanyo Am, Makazole Mapimpi, Andre Esterhuizen, and Sbu Nkosi, they have so much experience. Also Louis Schreuder, he has been great this season, even off the field, we will be just talking about life; he has great knowledge of the game. They are able to calm me down when things are not going well  during the game," shared Nohamba.


Rugby has brought forward opportunities for Sanele Nohamba and his family. The 21 year old is not keen on succumbing to any pressures of lifestyle change due to his success.


"Rugby has given me the opportunity of being able to take care of myself and family, and it also exposes you to be influential and help where you can. I'm not dealing with any pressures of being successful or lifestyle change, from a young age my parents told me to be myself and live my life the way I want to live it," said Nohamba.


Sanele Nohamba will not regard himself as a self made man, he credits a host of people who have helped reach the point he is at. Something rugby has taught him is that one needs people around them in order to succeed.


"You can not do everything by yourself, if you want to be successful you; you do need help from other people to be successful in whatever you want to do. You need good people around you to help you achieve what you want and in doing so maybe to can help them achieve their goals," said Nohamba.


We are still going to get to know Sanele Nohamba on the field of play but off the field he knows himself, he has knowledge of self; which is vital in life.


" I am just a young kid trying to live his life, trying to have fun and be myself all the time, help my family and anyone who is in need and be the best version of myself," concluded Nohamba.

Recruitment key for Cheetahs

by Athenkosi Tsotsi

                                   File photo of the Cheetahs

Key to the success of the Cheetahs over the years has been their recruitment policy, going into the future the Cheetahs will look at mixing youth and experience in their recruitment.


The likes of Johan Goosen, Willie le Roux, Trevor Nyakane, Henco Venter, Makazole Mapimpi, Ox Nche, Sergeal Petersen and many more got their development in the Free State. The recruitment has helped the franchise to be financially stable and be competitive on the field. 


The acquisition of players from the Varsity Cup and non traditional rugby schools has been fruitful and the Institute of Excellence will add to that.


"In conjunction with the Varsity Cup, we have been able to get in players, Shimlas and CUT have contributed greatly. We were dependent on Grey College, but the Grey boys get offers from other unions which we can not compete with financially. There is a lot of raw talent in Bloemfontein schools and we want to tap into that.


The Institute of Excellence will allow us to broaden our pool of talent, as we hope for 50 players to apply to come and play for the Cheetahs and study through CTU which offers good educational courses," said MJ Smith Manager of the Institute of Excellence. 
The Cheetahs are a stepping stone for many players, overlooked and fringe players take their trade to Bloemfontein for opportunities and after doing well, they leave. That in turn cripples the union on the field.


"That is a problem, players leaving. We want them to get a sense of belonging here, we have had Oupa Mohoje for years and we want to keep our best players. Bloemfontein is a nice city to raise a family, good school and has an enabling environment. Players come here and get opportunities, they get to play at a high level.

After 18 months or so of performing, players value increases between 30%-50% and we can not stretch our budget. We can not compete in salaries with the Sharks, Stormers, Lions and Bulls, they have a bigger budget. We have our sponsor Toyota, they have helped us greatly and has been our solid rock for many years but they can only go to a certain point. On the field we are equal but off the field its hard to compete," said Smith.


Recently we have seen the return of overseas based players comeback to the Cheetahs, last year it was Ruan Pienaar and the Cheetahs announced Frans Steyn will be joining in July. This is a trend the Cheetahs will look to continue.


"These are guys from the area, Bloemfontein. They went on to have great careers and they return here in the later stages of their careers. The deals must make sense for us and them. I can think of a few guys who are currently overseas who would also love to return. When the players comeback, they come to settle and raise their families," said Smith.


The Cheetahs scouting base, is scattered, and will look at navigating disadvantaged areas for talent and push transformation in that process. The Toyota Institute of Excellence will be of great assistance in this regard.


"There is so much talent out there, not only at the big schools. We have scouts all over the place. We want to give opportunities to disadvantaged boys. Transformation is going to be central in our recruitment, we have boys who are raising their hands up and showing great potential," concluded Smith.

Super Agent Revolving

By Athenkosi Tsotsi

                                    Mr. Alex Shahim of Revolve Talent

Sports agents form an integral part of sports. No they're not responsible for the coaching team, medical staff or the board of directors, but they are responsible for something much more important...the athlete. That might sound like a bit of a stretch since the athlete's ability to do what they do is solely based on their fitness and skill, but think of it like this who negotiated LeBron James' lifetime deal with Nike? Who engineered Paul Pogba's move from Man United to Juventus and back to United? And who managed to get Jose Mourinho hired as Coach of Tottenham Hotspurs FC even though he was sacked by Chelsea and United within a Span of four years. Sports agents are the unsung heroes of sports, as the role they play will determine whether if our favourite team will get that new world class signing that will help bring trophies to the team, or if our best player will remain at the team despite interested from a rival team. To get more insights as to what they do I spoke to Alex Shahim, of Revolve Talent.

Revolve Talent is a sports agency based in, headquarters, South Africa. They offer assistance to their clients in terms of: contract negotiations, endorsements, PR and social media management, as well as financial management; helping players with retirement annuities, investment portfolios, and income protection policies.
A brief list of athletes they represent include: Oupa Manyisa, Wayne Sandilands, Nealan van Heerdan, Gerald Coetzee, Khulekani Khubeka and many more. Below is the Q and A session I had with Mr. Alex Shaim.

Athenkosi Tsotsi:  Firstly Alex, what is a sports agent? 

Alex Shahim: A sports agent is someone who represents an athlete off the pitch. They handle their contracts, endorsements and in certain instances life decisions.

A.T:  What prompted you to move towards sports agency, how did it start and for how long have been doing it? 

A.S: I have always been passionate about sports, I used to be a professional golfer, my career ended due to a car accident. Having had a lot of friends who are athletes, I saw there were a lot of players who weren’t being looked after properly, it seemed it was all about money and not about the person, so I decided to get into it. Around 2 years now I look after a few soccer players and cricket players.

A.T:  How important is it for an athlete to have an agent?

A.S:  I do think it is important to have an agent. The agent helps with contracts and things the player might not have access to, such as relationships with teams, brands etc. I do feel that players need to do research on sports agencies, as well as the agent they are considering going with. Don’t be in a rush to sign a contract, make sure he/she is a good person and cares about your career not just about the pay cheque. 

A.T: In terms of contracts and endorsements, how do you secure, or know which is the best deal for your client as an agent?

A.S: For a young player its all about game time and less about money. The early years are for growth and learning about your game. That comes by playing, not by earning a nice salary sitting on the bench. As you get older, then both factors come into play. 

A.T: Do you, as agents, get involved or assists in players personal lives and professional lives. We have seen players careers die due to home problems or bad lifestyle; do you guys intervene, professionally? When they are not getting game time, or having issues with a coach or management; what do you do when a client lays a complaint to you, how do you take it up? 

A.S: My model and belief is that you need to help the player holistically from contracts, to endorsements, to financial management, to mental health and physical health. For me its all about helping them to find the balance in sport and life so that they can have a sustainable life after sport. At the end of the day players need to decide and make their own decisions, we can only supply them with information. Sadly, in our sport especially football the players do their own thing and don’t always make smart decisions. But if I’m honest my passion is to help them set themselves up for a life after sport. As far as a coach goes, I’m happy to get involved but again, I prefer players to take control and speak to coaches face to face when they have troubles.

A.T: Do agents move players to clubs for their own benefit, e.g let's say Club A is paying a better agent fee and club B is paying less, but the player wants Club B. How common is it in South African?

A.S: Well I guess both happens and in the agency space its known that sometimes people make money decisions. For me it’s different, I have never made a money decision. I’ve tried to make the right decision for the player and make sure that they get what they want.

A.T: Recently, you reprimanded an agent for trying to poach your client. How unethical is it, and what other unethical practices are there in your field? 

A.S: It’s a dog eat dog world, which I don’t like at all. There are ethics and integrity that I feel we should all live by. It happens a lot that agents try and poach other agents players. I’ve built great relationships with my boys and they are always open and honest. Each time another agency tried their luck they call me straight away. I think if you do good work, people will see and be drawn to that. The reason I called that guy out was because sometimes we all need to be kept honest otherwise it becomes a free for all.

A.T: Things like transfer fee, agent fee, contact length, salary fee, termination clauses, are never revealed in South Africa but in Europe they make it public knowledge because the public is interested in those things, why is it not the same here. I found it that not disclosing those specifics leaves a player open to exploitation from the club executives and agents to a certain extent.

A.S: I prefer not to comment on this one ;)

A.T: Alex, Revolve Talent is one of the fastest growing sports agency in SA, can you tell me more about, its vision and where its heading?

A.S: Thank you for the kind words. For me, its not about trying to have the most players or be the biggest agency. For me it’s about being known as the agency that really cares about its players, not just on the pitch, but off it too. Not only cares about them, but gives them the best in all aspects. I often say to the boys, obviously I care about what happens on the pitch, but I care more about what happens off the pitch. The boys aren’t my clients, they are my family. I would like to leave a legacy of the Agency with a purpose beyond profit behind. 

A.T: As an agent, you're human, what has been the most fulfilling moment in your career?

A.S: For me, I’m as happy as my happiest player, and as sad as my player who’s struggling. There have been so many amazing moments in my life and as a 30 year old, I hope to have many more. I would say two that makes me feel really happy was when Zakhele Lepasa scored the winning goal to beat Chiefs in The Nedbank Cup final. Purely, because I knew what he went through to get there. Another was Wandile Makwetu scoring 99 vs the Titans on his debut for the Knights, after being with the Titans and not getting an opportunity in a year. We managed to get him a move to the Knights and the rest is history. Again it’s not about the score, but about the fact that I knew what he went through before he got to that point. 

A.S: All in all I’m a lucky guy to be mentoring and helping some of the most humble hard working athletes that are good people. 

Sporting agencies, such as Revolve Talent, display that they are more than just a corporation focused on making a name for their clients and signing deals, but that they're a family whose values are anchored deeply in loyalty, trust and respect. Agents ensure that our, sporting, heroes are able to hang their capes up once done saving the day instead of staying long enough to turn into villains.