Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has a unique ability of transforming rough diamonds into superstars. Gomolemo Motshwane reports that Pitso has guided talented players into stars able to compete on the global stage.
Percy Tau (winger to striker)
When Tau gained promotion to the Sundowns first team five years ago, he was playing as a winger/attacking midfielder.
Mosimane took him under his wing and turned him into the best player in SA as is attested by his PSL Footballer of the Season award. Tau, 24, was converted into a striker and thrived in that role as it brought out the best in him. The Saint-Gilloise star is now the great hope of Bafana Bafana.
Bongani Zungu (attacking midfielder to defensive midfielder)
Soon after joining Sundowns from AmaTuks in 2014, Mosimane had a meeting with Zungu. "I told Bongani to stop this thing of playing number seven or 10, 'you have a body for a number six' [defensive midfielder]. And look now, he is a millionaire in euros," Mosimane said. Zungu left Sundowns for a big money move to Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal before joining French side SC Amiens.
Thapelo Morena (winger to right-back)
In the beginning, it seemed as if Morena was being played out of position at right-back, but the hard-running ace has made the position his own at Downs. He joined from Bloemfontein Celtic in 2016 as a winger but Mosimane saw that his industrious nature and hard work on the field can be effective from the back.
Lyle Lakay (winger to left-back)
According to Mosimane, the Mother City-born winger was reluctant to play away from the wing position earlier in the season. Lakay was signed from Cape Town City in August and that move has literally made him a different player.
Siboniso Gaxa (central defender to right-back)
The story of Gaxa's transformation is perhaps Mosimane's most famous and earliest. "Gaxa was playing in central defence at SuperSport and I said to him 'you don't have the body to play that position in the World Cup, move to right-back'," Mosimane explained. That was perhaps the best thing to happen to Gaxa because he went on to be the starting right-back for Bafana at the 2010 World Cup.
Mosimane's magic wand - turning rough diamonds into superstars
Image: Samuel Shivambu / BackpagePixGv
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has a unique ability of transforming rough diamonds into superstars. Gomolemo Motshwane reports that Pitso has guided talented players into stars able to compete on the global stage.
Percy Tau (winger to striker)
When Tau gained promotion to the Sundowns first team five years ago, he was playing as a winger/attacking midfielder.
Mosimane took him under his wing and turned him into the best player in SA as is attested by his PSL Footballer of the Season award. Tau, 24, was converted into a striker and thrived in that role as it brought out the best in him. The Saint-Gilloise star is now the great hope of Bafana Bafana.
Bongani Zungu (attacking midfielder to defensive midfielder)
Soon after joining Sundowns from AmaTuks in 2014, Mosimane had a meeting with Zungu. "I told Bongani to stop this thing of playing number seven or 10, 'you have a body for a number six' [defensive midfielder]. And look now, he is a millionaire in euros," Mosimane said. Zungu left Sundowns for a big money move to Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal before joining French side SC Amiens.
Thapelo Morena (winger to right-back)
In the beginning, it seemed as if Morena was being played out of position at right-back, but the hard-running ace has made the position his own at Downs. He joined from Bloemfontein Celtic in 2016 as a winger but Mosimane saw that his industrious nature and hard work on the field can be effective from the back.
Lyle Lakay (winger to left-back)
According to Mosimane, the Mother City-born winger was reluctant to play away from the wing position earlier in the season. Lakay was signed from Cape Town City in August and that move has literally made him a different player.
Siboniso Gaxa (central defender to right-back)
The story of Gaxa's transformation is perhaps Mosimane's most famous and earliest. "Gaxa was playing in central defence at SuperSport and I said to him 'you don't have the body to play that position in the World Cup, move to right-back'," Mosimane explained. That was perhaps the best thing to happen to Gaxa because he went on to be the starting right-back for Bafana at the 2010 World Cup.
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