‘If it’s Vichivic or Vuvuvich, we get excited’: Dan Malesela says give SA coaches time

Outspoken Marumo Gallants coach Dan “Dance” Malesela has called for calm as they stutter out of the starting blocks having lost their opening three matches of the campaign.

The Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns legend questioned why foreign coaches seem to often receive a more patient approach from club owners.

Gallants, who have dropped all nine points in their matches against Kaizer Chiefs, Golden Arrows and defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns, sit at the bottom of the Betway Premiership standings. 

Marumo are back in the top flight having bought the franchise of Moroka Swallows. Previously based in Limpopo, they have relocated to Bloemfontein.

Their mission to get their campaign on track starts with their clash against AmaZulu at Free State Stadium on Saturday and Malesela questioned why there are already calls for him to be fired.

“In South African football, some of these things are triggered by us raising them because we are also guilty of encouraging these things.

“Why do we always think when somebody loses three matches, something is going to happen?” Malesela queried, adding that he is encouraged that his team are playing good football and creating chances. 

“Who would not be encouraged to say that surely with this team we will not be relegated, or anything like that? If the supporters who were behind the goals on the south of the stadium are clapping, who are we not to be encouraged?

“You want to start a new chapter but for what? Is the team playing badly, are we not looking like a team that can win matches? This is a team that can win matches, so why do we start panicking?

“I saw an article saying I am swimming in the mud and another said I am skating on thin ice.” 

Malesela said people derive pleasure from seeing coaches fired. 

“You play two matches and there are articles like that. Why do we like a situation where people are fired from their jobs?

“It looks like there is some fun out of it. You can see the articles when a coach is being released, it doesn’t come out nice.

“You will see headlines like ‘fired’, they won’t say you have been released or something like that. Part of our job as coaches, media and everybody who is involved is to protect football. 

“We encourage good things. Let me say, 'My team is playing really badly and I must not be here' — that is another story. But if you see my team doing well, you protect those things, that’s why I am worried because we don’t protect our people here at home.” 

Malesela expressed concern over a culture in South Africa where local coaches are not given the same amount of time to establish themselves at clubs as their foreign counterparts. 

“There is this funny thing in South Africa where we like these funny names. So long as its got a Vichivic or Vuvuvich, we seem to be excited. Dan Malesela sounds too ordinary — maybe that’s because I am from Boekenhout. 

“For a local coach to make a statement, he must come from Europe. Must we find it easy to release a local coach but when Vichivic comes here we give him 10 or 20 matches? 

“When he [Vichivic] struggles, you phone Dan Malesela to come help the team. I didn’t want to go into that but I get worried when somebody starts to ask me the question of my job security.

“Why are we going there, why are we trigger-happy in this country? We are big fans of people being fired.”