Coaches smoke peace pipe
Mammila said Makhubedu must reach the Nedbank Cup final and finish in the top eight if he is to officially replace Kgoloko Thobejane.
Makhubedu was appointed Bakgaga’s interim coach in February following the suspension and eventual sacking of Thobejane, who was accused of drinking on the team bus along with members of his technical team and some senior players on the ride home from Bethlehem earlier this year.
“These talks of other coaches’ CVs and what I have to do (to get the job) must come to a stop,” Makhubedu said.
“Let’s work first. If we do well, no problem, but they can fire you even when you’re number one, like they did with Ruud Krol (at Orlando Pirates after he won the league and they didn’t renew his contract).
“I don’t want to talk about new contracts. In football they can fire you while you’re number one.
“Morgan never spoke to me about that (mandate). He would never tell me that because of the respect I give him. We’ll talk at the end of the season, whether I do well or not. I respect him and he respects me too. I don’t think that he would tell me that to my face.
“I have been in football for a long time. I know Morgan. I don’t think he said some of the things that are in the newspapers. Those aren’t the things he can talk about now.”
What Baroka can talk about now is the Nedbank Cup.
Bakgaga visit Kaizer Chiefs at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium today (8.15pm kick-off) in the quarter-finals.
This match will see Makhubedu and coach Steve Komphela come up against each other for the first time in this tournament since Makhubedu’s rant last season following Amakhosi’s win over his then club Acornbush from the ABC Motsepe League.
Makhubedu said his team had learned nothing from coming up against the country’s cup kings, who beat Acornbush 2-1, arguing that it was like they were playing against a side in 10th place in the amateur ranks.
“We were used to beating teams anywhere, anytime,” Makhubedu said.
“That’s why we were bad losers on the day. Let’s forget what I said. We spoke about it and I apologised. I was harsh, especially on coach Steve. He has already forgiven us.
“Many things happened in that game. I was overcome by emotions which led to me being arrogant.
“You grow and learn from your mistakes. I was overconfident going into that game, knowing what I had in my squad and what they had. It was totally different.”
Makhubedu and Komphela smoked the peace pipe after the former Acornbush coach apologised to Komphela and Amakhosi.
The two will be civil with one another before squaring off in a match that could define their tenures in their respective clubs.
“I am no man of vengeance,” Komphela said.
“Never! Not me. Try me. Commit the worst error ever and check whether I will forget and forgive (or not). The next day I come across you it's as if it’s not me.
“That’s why I’ll hardly have a wrinkled face because I don’t hold my face tight in anticipation of revenge. I relax. Let go.
“That issue was addressed and I don’t want to start it now. We wish him well as a coach there. It would be nice to see a lot of us flooding the PSL (Premier Soccer League) and leave the game with integrity and respect.”
Saturday Star