Lepasa, Mofokeng & Co: The Pirates’ Blueprint for Developing Stars

On Friday, Mandla Qhogi, a former development coach for Orlando Pirates, revealed to the Siya crew the club’s strategy for producing talented young players. Qhogi, who had been working for the Buccaneers for nearly two decades, spoke about the collaboration between coaches at the club, from the senior team to the development team.

“There is a good collaboration between coaches at the club. The first team head coach, or sometimes it might not be him but an assistant coach, will come and watch the development team’s training sessions from time to time. They also come to sit down with the development coaches to discuss about the players, individually. They would ask which players do the coaches think are ready to come and train with the first team and we would put the names forward,” said Qhogi.

The development team coaches are also able to identify players that have potential to move up to the senior team. During FIFA breaks or when the first team is away for a match, selected players from the development team are invited to train with the first team. If any of these players impress, a message is sent to the first team coach.

With some DStv Diski Challenge matches being televised, it has become even easier for coaches to watch these players and identify potential talent. “It makes it even easier for coaches to watch these players,” said Qhogi.