Moorosi Tsiane
It is always heart-warming to see new talent emerging in our sport, particularly when it is not a player but an official.
I am talking about newly appointed Sundawana coach, Bob Mafoso, who has added a fresh dimension to the domestic game since his arrival on the premier league football scene last season with Likila United.
Mafoso (32) has since proved age is but a number as he continues to hold his own in the topflight league.
Appointed assistant to Freese Ntene three matches after the this season started, Mafoso was elevated to the hot seat three weeks ago after Ntene had to step down due to health reasons.
When Mafoso took over from Ntene, Sundawana were yet to win this season, and had drawn two and lost six of their premier league fixtures.
However, the team has since won the two matches Mafoso has been in sole charge, defeating LDF 1-0 and LMPS 2-0.
After Sundawana finished their first premiership season in eighth position under Ntene, it was widely expected the team would do even better this time around.
This was because not only had the team become used to the topflight league, the management had also signed several new players during the offseason.
But unfortunately, things did not go Sundawana’s way as Ntene couldn’t be with the team for preseason preparations, hence the poor start which prompted management to elevate Mafoso.
After helping Likila to a sixth-spot finish in their premiership debut last season, Mafoso came to Sundawana with a respectable record, and appears on track to join the class of esteemed coaches such as Mosholu ‘Shoes’ Mokhothu, Motheo ‘Six to Six’ Mohapi, Mahao ‘Bomber’ Matete, Ntebele ‘Tata Mocholene’ Taole and Katiso Mojakhomo.
When he left Likila, I was a bit disappointed because it appeared he was taking a step backwards by becoming an assistant at Sundawana.
Under Mafoso, Likila were a force to reckon with, and I have no doubt he would bring the same winning formula to Sundawana. And Sundawana’s two consecutive wins seem to have already confirmed Mafoso’s pedigree, and what makes this quite interesting is we are talking about a very young coach here—one who is even younger than the majority of players in the premier league.
The team is owned by popular traditional healer, Thato Nkone, who is widely known by the moniker Sundawana, hence the club’s name.
Nkone has invested so much in his club, making it one of the very few that have become semi-professional, which means his players are getting monthly allowances.
With such financial sacrifice, one would not expect Nkone to be happy when Sundawana lose, and it appears his recruitment of Mafoso was but a master-stroke.
It is a well-known fact that Likila are not flush with money, yet Mafoso managed to make them a respectable, if not feared, side last season. And with Sundawana ready to splash the cash, I don’t see why Mafoso cannot turn them into one of the giants of domestic football, which Nkone has since made clear he wants them to be.