PODCAST | Pitso helped me but I have to give credit to Rulani: Lyle Lakay

Former Mamelodi Sundowns star Lyle Lakay has described how Pitso Mosimane strengthened his game mentally at Mamelodi Sundowns, but also gave credit to Rulani Mokwena for improving him tactically.

Lakay was loaned back to the club he joined Sundowns from in 2018, Cape Town City, at the start of the 2022-23 season after the Brazilians signed another Bafana Bafana left-back, Terrence Mashego, from the Citizens.

Lakay was an integral player as Sundowns won league titles under Mosimane, with Mokwena as assistant, in 2019-20; then under Mokwena, Manqoba Mngqithi and Steve Komphela in 2020-21 and 2021-22.

He described to Marawa Sports Worldwide how Mosimane, who left Downs in September 2020 to join Egypt’s Al Ahly, and Mokwena improved his game.

“Coach Pitso helped me mentally but to be honest I have to give lots of credit to coach Rulani for what he contributed to my game.

“I remember the first time he came [back to Sundowns from Pirates] – we had our own bio-bubble before the [league’s] bubble [in 2020].

“We were camping in Rustenburg. I remember the first few training sessions they helped me with. We were playing an XI versus XI, doing transitions. Being Sundowns, the fullbacks are attacking more than defending, because at Sundowns we always had the ball.

“And when you lose the ball, obviously you have to run back. There was this thing he [Mokwena] did with me – he stood on my side and counted. When we post the ball high up, he gave me 10 seconds to recover. That was one of the first things that helped me with my game.

“And then under coach Pitso we had this thing called ‘corrections homework’. It was a must to have an iPad and DStv, to record your games. After every game we would go home, watch your game, analyse it, see what you did wrong – for example, if I crossed instead of passing.

“You would note, at that minute this was what I was supposed to do, and what I did. When we met the coaches at training we discussed it.

“With coach Rulani, some things I still do today. I’m not bragging but I think at Sundowns we were the first in the country to play inverted fullbacks.”

Lakay explained the inverted full-backs system, where the fullbacks “are not always on the outside” and come inside for periods of a game to “become an extra midfielder”.

In a wide-ranging interview Lakay discussed being an integral part for Sundowns in their third, fourth and fifth successive league titles in the past three seasons, and the highs and lows of being a professional footballer. He gave his views on Sundowns’ recent coaching reshuffle and his move to City.

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