‘Soek-soek’ in search of fans

Supersport United are living up to their name under the tutelage of Pitso Mosimane. The youngest coach in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) has taken a team that faced relegation four seasons ago to one that has been twice runners-up for the league title and has been in the top four for the past three seasons. 

Mosimane (40) capped this consistency with his first silverware, the SAA Supa 8 cup this season. This has made Supersport United a strong contender for other honours, with the next in line being the Coca-Cola Cup that kicked off on Wednesday night.

For any coach winning a cup would be a highlight of his career, but Mosimane wants to leave a legacy. The United coach is one of the founder members of the players union and is the first black former player (at club and international level) to win a cup as a coach.

This achievement might persuade other club bosses to entrust their sides to former players instead of always importing coaches. 

Mosimane attributes his club’s recent triumph to playing in the African champions’ league. ‘My players are now mentally strong and appreciate each other,” he says.  Playing in Africa has taught him and his players that they should not waste scoring opportunities and has given them better tactical awareness.

Mosimane wants United to become one of the top four teams in Africa over the next three years.

Supersport have been winning over the purists with their flowing style of one-touch football with short passes, which is called ‘soek-soek”. Mosimane is proud of their attractive play, though he is willing to be pragmatic when he needs to be. ‘There are games for ‘soek-soek’ and those that just require you to win the match.”

‘Soek-soek” football took a back seat against Kaizer Chiefs in the Supa 8 final. The tactics in that game were to frustrate Chiefs and not allow their players to get the ball.

Mosimane explains the strategy: ‘As a coach you should not have to play only one style of football, as it is then easy for the opposition to know what you will do next. You must from time to time present them with a surprise.”

Supersport chairperson Khulu Sibiya says running a football club is not child’s play. When pay-TV channel M-Net bought the ailing Pretoria City and renamed it, the club was in the relegation zone.

When Mosimane was appointed in 2000 he was set certain targets by the board. They were that the side must qualify for one of the continental tournaments; be one of the top four teams in the PSL, reach at least one domestic cup final and sell two or three players.

Mosimane has more than met the on-field goals, while striker Thando Mngomeni has been sold overseas.

‘I want to see my players become millionaires,” he says.

There is a downside to the downsizing of the squad, however.

Injuries have taken a big toll, and Supersport might take on Bush Bucks in the Coke Cup on Sunday with very few to keep Mosimane company on the bench.

When they played Chiefs in the Supa 8 final they had only three reserves and when they beat USM of Algeria 2-0, marking their first victory in the champions league, they had just one player on the bench.

Although the team are playing good football, this has not resulted in fans flooding to the stadium to watch them.

Mosimane blames this on how people are influenced by friends and family members about which team they should support.

Sibiya believes management can turn things around.

‘It is only now that we are beginning to address the marketing of the team.”

Playing attractive football would go a long way to getting crowds to go and watch Supersport.