Ramatsiyi Moholoa

Ramatsiyi Moholoa

One of South Africa's most successful development soccer coaches, Sam Mbatha, has come out of the wilderness after almost seven years and has joined Absa Premiership club Platinum Stars.

Stars are quietly going on a recruitment campaign to bring on board all the best administrators in various fields.

Mbatha, who has been assisting at Benoni Premier United, will be working on the Tycoons's development programme, which is expected to be re-launched in the next few weeks.

He will be remembered as one of the contributors to the massive success of the once-powerful Transnet Football School of Excellence. He quit the institution, where he was the head coach, after complaining about the shoddy treatment the academy was getting from Safa.

Mbatha and Stars chairman George Khunou could not be reached for comment yesterday, but impeccable sources at the North West club confirmed that Mbatha was already in town.

At Excellence, Mbatha worked with the likes of Cavann Johnson, Mandla Mazibuko and Steve Pila to make their products the most sought-after locally and globally.

Some of the products of Excellence at that stage included Steven Pienaar, Gabriel Mofokeng, John Nkambule, Masilo Modubi and Lynch Pule.

Johnson is expected to be in charge of Stars' development in the new season.

He is the assistant to head coach, Argentinian Miguel Gamondi, who looks set to be replaced by Craig Rosslee, formerly with Ajax Cape Town.