Baroka coach Thobejane holds no grudge losing to Larsen for coach of the month

Eccentric Baroka FC coach Kgoloko Thobejane insists he is not driven by individual success and will lose no sleep after he missed out on the PSL’s first coach of the month award despite his team being top of the log.

Second-placed Lamontville Golden Arrows’ coach Clinton Larsen was on Tuesday named the 2017-18 Absa Premiership’s coach of the month for August to September.

With Baroka top of the log with 15 points from seven matches – two points clear of Arrows – many expected the soft-spoken Thobejane to walk away with the honour.

“With these kind of situations I don’t want to have much say. I’m just going to be supportive of the people who win and the panel who decide on the winners‚” Thobejane responded.

“I can’t say that it should have been me or anything like that.”

Thobejane was speaking during Baroka’s new home and away kit launch in Sandton on Wednesday‚ with almost all of the management staff and more than half of the playing squad present. Baroka partners Two Mountain, a financial and funeral services provider, were also in attendance. 

Baroka and Arrows remain the only unbeaten teams so far in the league.

The Limpopo outfit have won four and drawn three of their seven games while Arrows have won three and shared the spoils on four occasions.

“It’s Clinton Larsen who has won and I’d like to say congratulations to him. If it’s not me and it’s him then it’s fine because he is also behind us at number two.

“We are not in this football for accolades or individual glory or brilliance or whatever. I’m in this game for teamwork.

“If the team is achieving and I’m not achieving individually then I’m very happy‚ as long as the collective is winning.”

“There is a panel who decide on these things and their decisions need to be respected and we move on‚” said Thobejane.

Baroka will now aim to consolidate their lead with two home games that follow the Fifa international break and MTN8 final.

Bakgaga host second-placed Arrows in an unexpected top-of-the-table clash at Peter Mokaba Stadium next Wednesday‚ then struggling champions Bidvest Wits at the same venue on Sunday‚ October 22.