SOCCER: Lungile Madywabe
LIKE a child who has been burnt a number of times and=20 has vowed never to touch the fire again, Moroka=20 Swallows coach Walter Da Silva has learnt his lesson=20 well in dealing with National Soccer League teams.=20
In the space of six months he has lost two months’=20 salary because D’Alberton Callies (now Rabali=20 Blackpool), did not pay him. Finding himself stranded=20 in Durban, he decided to go back to Brazil. While at=20 home, he received a phone call from Rexon Mashili, the=20 owner of the second division Acornbush United, who=20 asked him to come and coach his club.=20
To his dismay, when he arrived in Johannesburg, Mashili=20 was not there to welcome him. ” When I pitched he was=20 not there after having made me an offer of a car,=20 house, and a job,” he says.
After a month he landed a job with the Birds through a=20 friend he had approached for a job as a salesman. “I=20 was living from friend to friend, then I approached=20 someone for a job as a salesman. He was a friend of=20 Coloured Passmore, who got hold of Chabeli, then they=20 made me an offer to take over Swallows,” says Da Silva.=20 He agreed to take over until the end of the season on=20 condition that they pay him every month upfront.=20
When he took over Swallows were on the brink of a=20 disaster. They had won two games, drawn six and most of=20 the players were asking for tranfers. Da Silva,=20 however, is reluctant to comment about the problems=20 before he took over, saying, “I believe the problem was=20 internal. “
He says the biggest problem the players had at that=20 stage was the loss of confidence, “but I was able to=20 tell them that they are as good as any other players”.
He argues that football is not only about tactics but=20 also about the state of mind of the players.But what=20 about his taking the players to a restaurant before=20 every game — that is surely food for thought for many=20 soccer trainers. ” I have them choose whatever they=20 want, and I ask them about their problems so that if=20 they do not perform they have a lot to explain,” he=20
Since he took over, the “Beautiful Birds” have lost one=20 game, through an own goal, won five and drawn three. No=20 one has any doubts that he has transformed this squad=20 of 23 — with only two senior players — to a=20 respectable team capable of taking on the best in the=20
A smile comes to his face when talking about the=20 veteran Andries “Chaka-Chaka” Mpondo, who scored a=20 brilliant goal against Kaizer Chiefs two weeks ago, and=20 the ever-steady Sipho Sikhonde. “They have been a great=20 help and have given a lot of encouragement to the young=20 players,” he says.
Da Silva says his biggest ambition is to see Swallows=20 among the top eight teams — and also to go as far as=20 they can in the Bob Save Super Bowl. “Taking them from=20 where they were to the top eight will be a mark in my=20 soccer career,” he says.