The story of Stanley “Screamer” Tshabalala’s “shoeshine and piano” system of play is the stuff of legend in South African football.
The famous system used when Tshabalala coached an emerging Mamelodi Sundowns owned by charismatic Zola Mahobe in the 1980s, was back in the spotlight as football’s luminaries paid tribute to the hugely influential figure in the sport after his death last month.
But some 40 years later, the exact knowledge of what “shoeshine and piano” actually was has faded. TimesLIVE Premium spoke to two Sundowns captains, Alpheus “Go” Mabusela and Mike “Nanana” Ntombela, to rekindle the memories.
The two were part of the leadership group in the star-studded Sundowns team that was assembled by Tshabalala and his long-time assistant coach Trott Moloto.
Building from the back has taken over world football in the past four decades. Mabusela and Ntombela say Tshabalala introduced the practice to them in the 1980s when it was uncommon in South Africa after he returned from Italy where he visited AC Milan and Juventus.
The two former players said instead of hoofing the ball upfront, goalkeeper Mark Anderson would pass close to defenders Lucky “Oshkosh” Molefe, Johannes “Bricks” Mudau, Sam “Eewie” Khambule and Ntombela.
Then Sundowns would use the midfield outlet of Donald “Ace” Khuse and Rabone “Rabie” Moripe in central midfield, with skilful players like Zane Moosa supplying to deadly strikers Andries “Panyaza” Chitja, Lovemore “Rambo” Chafunya and Bennet Masinga.
“A lot of clubs in the past used to kick the ball forward but Bra Stan wanted us to build from the back. He went to Italy and found this concept and he introduced it when he came back,” Ntombela recalled.
“Players who were key to the system were Molefe, who was called ‘Baresi’ [in reference to] the Italian player Franco], and Mudau at central defence, myself on the left and Khambule on the right.”
Ntombela said the heartbeat of the team was skilful midfielder Khuse who would go on to make a huge impact at Kaizer Chiefs. “Khuse had come from Orlando Pirates with Vincent Makroti. Ace became the key because everything went through him.”
Mabusela, who was the first captain when the club was renamed Mamelodi Sundowns, said it did not take them too long to understand the system. “Zola Mahobe felt the need to make Screamer a better South African coach and he sent him to Italy for some coaching courses. Upon his return, he would shout piano, piano at training and we didn’t understand what he meant.
“So he explained it was an Italian style of play, that means you must apply your mind and not rush with the ball, and he wanted to introduce it to the club. If you can recall, our back four mainly was Eewie, Bricks, Oshkosh and Nanana.
“When Mark held the ball, you would see Rabie dropping from the midfield to collect and start playing from deep. We were surprised by the system because during our playing days in the 1980s and early 1990s, when you were a No 5 your job was man-marking.”
Mabusela said other clubs found it difficult to cope with them because of their system, and thus Downs started notching successes. “With the system, we started winning trophies because our opponents didn’t know what was happening — it mostly confused opponents. It didn't take too much time for us to get used to it — after about eight games we started mastering it.
Even the national team, if there is a problem they go back to it and I would have thought that one of the universities could have honoured him. But there is still time to do it posthumously. This is the way South Africa should play.
— Mike Ntombela
“Screamer coined piano and [Sundowns PRO] Alex Shakoane included shoeshine and the rest is history. Ace Khuse played with Rabie Moripe, sometimes with Sammy Troughton or Harris Chueu.
“Most of the times Rabie would go to Bricks and Molefe and collect and play it to Ace, who was more skilful and started to make things happen with the likes of Zane Moosa. Upfront we had clinical finishers like Andries Chitja, Lovemore Chafunya and Bennett Masinga.”
Ntombela said it was a pity Tshabalala died without writing a book to fully explain the system. “The only thing he didn’t do is he never wrote something about ‘shoeshine and piano’. People are going to fabricate things as to what he meant because he was going to be authentic in terms of telling the story.
“People have told the story but it is nicer when it comes from the horse’s mouth. This guy should have been given a doctorate, because who has ever started a philosophy and implemented it? A philosophy in football that tells the story — all the coaches that had confusion referred back to it.
“You see it at Sundowns at the moment, it is a point of reference, they go back to that. Even the national team, if there is a problem they go back to it and I would have thought that one of the universities could have honoured him. But there is still time to do it posthumously. This is the way South Africa should play.”
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