Who should Igesund pick as Bafana captain?

Igesund has been known for his ability to raise up leaders within his sides and has always built a team around a core group of experienced men with leadership qualities.

He has won League titles at his clubs with the likes of Mark Davies, Clinton Larsen, Andre Arendse, Thabo Mngomeni, Pollen Ndlanya, Grant Johnson, Edries Burton, Musa Otieno, Jean-Marc Ithier, Mike Manzini and Godfrey Sapula all playing pivotal leadership roles.

But does the current generation have characters who stand out on the field and who lead off the pitch too?

“I think we do, but we have to get them to come out of their shells; to express themselves and believe that they can be as good as anyone else in the world,” Igesund says.

“They need to put the jersey on and know that the coach and technical team believe that he is the best player in our country, even from all our players across the world, to play in that particular role.

“The players must think to themselves ‘they believe me, and now I need to express myself’.”

Igesund then switches conversation to highlight a recent example: “Look at David Mathebula (the man Igesund re-ignited at Moroka Swallows last season). He is a typical example. He was quiet, an introvert who went on the field and did his job and went home again.

“I told him why I bought him for Swallows – because he is a great player, but that he needed to work on his defensive qualities because he drifted in and out of games.

“He was good in patches, but sometimes he hid and never wanted the ball. So I got him to fetch the ball in deeper positions, got him working back more and winning the ball. Then I told him to get on the ball all the time because he is so good with the ball at his feet. Then he started wanting the ball again and the rest is history.

“But now each player is different – you need to be hard on some, soft on others – some if you shout at them they respond well, but others you cannot shout at.”

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So in order for Igesund to find the right balance of leaders within his national squad, he and his technical team will first have to “get into the minds” of the players and make them believe once more.

KickOff.com speak to three former players who worked under Igesund about what is needed to lead Bafana.

MUSA OTIENO
What is expected of a national captain?
First you look for a leader who knows himself and knows what he wants. Gordon has always used a captain who links very closely with him because there needs to be a good relationship between the coach and the team. So Gordon will want someone who can carry the coach’s message to the team.

What is meant by leadership on the pitch?
Giving a good example on the field, but remembering that a leader needs to perform well too because the fellow players will follow him. He needs to be directing the team to get good results and needs to be someone who never gives up.

Who are the guys Igesund should turn to from the current Bafana squad?
One thing that Gordon has been successful in over the years is that he does not choose just one leader, but rather four or five guys to build around. In 1996 Bafana had a very good backbone. I think guys like Itumeleng Khune, Siphiwe Tshabalala as well as Steven Pienaar are the guys who need to come up now and say ‘this is up to us’. They play regularly in their teams, which is also very important. In the sense of building a team, Gordon will do this. But overall he will go for results. Age is just a number, so if some older is performing then I think Gordon will call him up and ask him to do the job.

MIKE MANZINI
What is expected of a national captain?
It starts with the captain’s understanding within the group of players, and his ability to communicate with everyone. From the technical team all the way down to the players. The coach will have expectations so it is key to be able to translate this to the players. So the ability to oragnise is also very important – not only tactics, but also being an organised person yourself. The captain needs to create an environment for players to flourish. So he needs to be able to deal with players from various backgrounds.

What is meant by leadership on the pitch?
Leadership, for me as a player, meant this: Relaying the different kind of messages when there are changes that the coach would want to make on the field. So a leader needs to communicate well with the players and take initiative. He needs to be able to make players understand that it is up to the players to win the game, not the coach. He gives input during the week, but the leader on the field has to inspire the team on the match day and adjust when the opponents change tactics during a match. He needs to know how to adjust when game situations happen on the field.

Who are the guys Igesund should turn to from the current Bafana squad?
I don’t think I have a clear idea of his squad yet. But he will go for the best available players. He will want a captain to take initiative and I would expect the likes of Teko Modise, Steven Pienaar, Itumeleng Khune, Morgan Gould and Siphiwe Tshabalala to be these players for Igesund. I have seen the way the players at Sundowns have been inspired by Teko’s leadership role.

ANDRE ARENDSE
What is expected of a national captain?
In the national team you should have several players who are natural leaders at their respective club sides. So this is a plus to the coach and should make the captain’s job a lot easier. I think a captain of Bafana should be someone who can bring back a winning mentality to the team, but overall every player needs to have this same mentality and this has been missing from Bafana for some time now.

What is meant by leadership on the pitch?
If we put talent aside for just a moment, then you have to look at whether the players in the national team can rally together and fight for one another. This takes leadership from all the players and the same winning mentality. The players need to take responsibility to carry out the coach’s instructions on the field. When you play for your country this is vital and you would expect the best of the best to be able to rise up at any time on the field and take responsibility.

Who are the guys Igesund should turn to from the current Bafana squad?
You have got Steven Pienaar who has an abundance of experience now on all stages of the game, but he cannot do it alone. Morgan Gould’s injury has come at a terrible time because he is a leader and has a winning mentality. He has moved to Kaizer Chiefs so his head is in a very good place too, so the injury is bad timing. There are others like Shabba and Khune who can play a role, although I believe Khune is still growing up – and I say this respectfully – but he will grow into becoming more of a natural leader. Then someone like David Mathebula, who I think should be in the squad to offer his skills in midfield, can also play a leadership role.