Winning the premiership is every coach’s dream but winning it three times must make a coach feel unique.
Santos coach Gordon Igesund, who has won the crown with three different teams in the past six seasons, says: ”It’s a gift I have got to get the players to play to the best of their abilities and make them believe that they can win.”
Igesund could have been lost to South African soccer had he accepted Austrian citizenship during his playing days in that country. He turned down the opportunity due to being a proud African and this has finally paid off ? with his three titles also having been won in three different provinces.
The first time Igesund won the league was with Manning Rangers in the 1996/97 season. The second time was with Pirates last season and now he has taken Santos to the championship. Igesund says: ”The first was special for it was a fantastic achievement for the club and players. The second was very emotional and a relief ? and the third special because it was a club without sponsors and superstars, just like at Rangers.” What Igesund has achieved might take other coaches a lifetime.
Igesund’s triumphs have attracted some attention from other leagues on the continent and overseas. But he is adamant he will stay with Santos until the end of the season before looking at the options available. There has also been a sector of the soccer fraternity calling for Igesund to coach Bafana Bafana.
Igesund is an advisor to national coach Jomo Sono but is still in the dark about his job description.
He has strong views about Bafana. He acknowledges that development has taken place but continuity is the main problem due to the chopping and changing of coaches. He says Bafana are now in the same position as they were in 1998. ”We need to go forward. Thirty years ago soccer was just about entertaining the supporters ? now the game has become bigger than that and as a nation we need to get the winning mentality.
”We need to play good football that will suit us. The game is about scoring more goals than the other team.”
The Santos coach’s ambition is to win the World Cup in 2010. But for now Santos face Ajax Cape Town in their final league match this weekend. Igesund wants his players’ minds focused on the derby: ”The supporters should expect a good game and they would like to end the season in style.”
As Table Mountain provides the backdrop to the Cape derby at Newlands stadium, so the Soweto derby will be played out in front of the minedumps near Soccer City.
Kaizer Chiefs take on deposed champions Orlando Pirates with more at stake for Amakhosi than the Buccaneers.
Victory is paramount for the Glamour Boys, as they risk the humiliation of not qualifying to defend their Top 8 title next season.
A loss for Chiefs could mean that they will have to wait on the outcome of the game between Pirates and Wits University on May 7 whereas a win for them on Saturday will guarantee them a spot in the top eight.
The last time the two teams met at this venue Chiefs were given a 3-0 hiding. Pirates will want to win to keep alive their hope of finishing second in the league.