BAROKA FC coach Kgoloko Thobejane doesn’t come across as the shiniest boot in the Bakgaga kit bag!
The clown prince of football comedy is surely living in La-la land and needs a big fat smack on his head to catch a wake-up.
Upon winning the NFD and automatically qualifying for the PSL, he was bold and proclaimed that he was going to win the league in his first season in the top flight.
Well, before yesterday’s league game against Platinum Stars, Baroka were rock-bottom on the log after three matches. When you invert the log table, Baroka are actually on top. Maybe that’s how Thobejane sees the world – upside down!
When Baroka were just about to wrap up their NFD season, Thobejane was seen dancing and falling about on the touchlines in excitement. This is not something you usually see in the PSL and other professional leagues.
Maybe Kgoloko is too much of a country bumpkin and there’s ample of small-town immaturity in his demeanor. Sophistication is not one of his strong qualities.
In July, Kgoloko told Kick-Off that he had no intention or he wasn’t concerned that he didn’t have any coaching credentials.
“I don’t have any coaching papers, I’ve never attended any courses, but I understand football,” Thobejane said at the time.
“I’m not even planning to attend these coaching courses because I already understand the practicality of football more than theory.
“Why should I go to coaching school? Football is a calling for me. Those who want coaching courses must come to me.”
I say good luck to those poor coaches.
“My coaching philosophy is defensive possession,” he explained further.
“Football starts at the back, because the point is to get the opponent come to you and by doing so they will open up spaces that we can take advantage of.”
Okay, thanks for enlightening us with such exceptional football insight...this is akin to a petrol attendant telling us his philosophy is to ensure unleaded petrol doesn’t make its way into a diesel tank jalopy.
Ahead of their PSL fixture against Highlands Park, Thobejane retorted: “We’ll come with three points. We need the number one spot and we don’t play for any position [but] need position one.”
Well, they were nailed 2-1 and when asked about their next game against Bidvest Wits at the
post-match interview, Kgoloko carried on with his loony prophecy and said they were going to hammer “The Students”. And guess what, they were pole-axed 2-0 by Wits.
If all this wasn’t funny, we would be crying tears. I hope Mr Thobejane won’t embarrass himself any further. His pre- and post-match comments are a gold mine for sports journalists, but this has to stop at some point. Football is a serious sport and serious business.
Like Bill Shankly’s once-in-a-lifetime quote: “Football is not a matter of life and death...it’s much more important than that.”
Kgoloko needs to empower himself and keep up with new and modern trends of the beautiful game. He must carry himself in a manner that will make people take him seriosusly and earn him respect. The NFD kindergarten is over – this is the big time!
