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Tim Spirit: It’s not arrogance, Pitso, if you can back it up

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Like him or not, Pitso Mosimane has taken the Absa Premiership by storm.

The Premier Soccer League (PSL) needs characters like “Jingles”, Steve Komphela and Gavin Hunt – forthright guys who have a touch of arrogance.

They aren’t afraid to speak their minds and pep things up off the field of play when things threaten to get dull.

Everything Mosimane does or says commands attention. If he wins, we are obliged to acknowledge him. If he fails, we are delighted to mock. But nothing about him goes unnoticed.

Call him arrogant, but the Mamelodi Sundowns mentor puts his money where his mouth is.

He might not be diplomatic and tactful off the field, with his off-the-cuff comments – and he sometimes gives in to inexplicable tirades without any provocation – but Jingles has proven to be a master tactician. His apparent arrogance has turned him into the league’s “Special One”, whether you love or loathe him.

You do not have to be a Sundowns supporter to appreciate what he has brought to the league so far. How would the PSL look without him in it? Boring and unimaginable.

Not one to hold back for fear of being criticised, Mosimane has injected life into usually dull post-match conferences. Win or lose, he always has something to say, and writers can’t wait to hear from him. He has revolutionised South African football.

He once said: “These Q-some things [the Q-innovation system], they don’t mean a lot, hey. Okay. It is good, it is motivation, but [they are] sardines. You must catch the big fish. You can win Q1 and Q4, and you don’t win the league. What is that? You must catch the big fish.”

The big fish is the ultimate prize and Mosimane’s Downs are marching towards their second title in three seasons.

It is the manner in which they go about their business on the field of play that sends shivers down their opponents’ spines. They are ruthless, assured and confident on the ball. The “CBD” of (Leonardo) Castro, (Khama) Billiat and (Keagan) Dolly – are the talk of the town because of how they trounce clubs. They have been merciless and look unstoppable.

Mosimane’s track record as a coach speaks volumes, and it’s not arrogance if you can back it up. In December, he became the first coach to have won all the trophies on offer in domestic football in the PSL era.

Though the league marathon is still on, Mosimane has already proven his detractors wrong so far. He was not bothered when a section of Sundowns supporters bayed for his blood earlier in the season, following some uninspiring performances. Instead, he used that as a motivating factor, and Sundowns are now a marvel to watch.

He has made lots of people eat humble pie. But to win over more people and keep them on his side, he needs to keep his feet on the ground and be a little humbler – something he is not good at.

He needs to prove himself on the biggest stage, where success really counts. He must aim high and go for glory on the African continent. Sundowns came nowhere last year after losing to TP Mazembe in the first round of the Confederation of African Football Champions League, and knowing the ambitions of club president Patrice Motsepe, this would not have gone down well with the boss.

Motsepe has long made it clear that he wants to conquer the continent. He wants to rival TP Mazembe’s owner, Moïse Katumbi, both on and off the field. Both men have billions in their bank accounts, but Katumbi has all the bragging rights on the field – and Mazembe claimed their fifth Champions League title last year.

Now Jingles has a chance to make both Motsepe and the country proud and go for the ultimate prize – he has the team to do it.

But please, Pitso, do continue dishing out those memorable quotes.

Follow me on Twitter @TimspiritMolobi

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