He has lived under the shadow of Rulani Mokwena for the past few years but Sinethemba Badela is ready to forge his own path as Chippa United coach for the Betway Premiership campaign.
Going against the grain of what most clubs might have done, Chippa boss Siviwe Mpengesi appointed the inexperienced but highly-rated Badela to coach his team this season. Like Mokwena when he emerged in South African football coaching, Badela is in his mid-30s — and seen as another prodigy with a big future on the bench.
Mokwena recruited Badela to Mamelodi Sundowns to coach their DStv Diski Challenge team, promoted him to work with the first team at Chloorkop and later took him to Wydad Casablanca in Morocco as one of his assistants last season.
Badela was recruited by Mpengesi when Chippa returned from their unsuccessful stint in Morocco for his first crack as a head coach in the PSL. He spoke of how he is indebted to Mokwena for his rise in coaching.
“I have no shame about it [working and learning from Rulani],” said Badela as he looked to Chippa’s first Betway Premiership clash of the season against former employers and defending champions Sundowns at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Saturday (3pm).
“He is someone who helped me a lot, he played a huge role for me. I coached under him and I can’t run away from that, but it is also important to make my own mark.
“I had a stint at Cape Town All Stars [in the first division] and I don’t think we did that badly, and also with a young DDC team at Sundowns where we lost the league in the last game of the season.
“The PSL is a different monster, but I am looking forward to testing myself and seeing what I am capable of at this level. As coaches, we are always as good as our players and hopefully we will do well.
“We have assembled a strong squad that will be able to be competitive in a short space of time.”
Chippa have also appointed Sinesipho Mali, the performance analyst who made an impression with his work for Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos as the national team had its best Africa Cup of Nations finish of third in Ivory Coast last year, as their sporting director.
With such an exciting brains trust, the Chilli Boys have the potential to escape the cycle of showing good prospects and making good signings but being sabotaged by poor decisions at management level.
Badela is excited about the Chippa project.
“It has been unbelievable to be mentored by coach Rulani, he has taught me a lot of things. He’s taught me about winning, in fact, everything I know is from him. I feel privileged to have worked with him and now I am looking forward to taking on this challenge at Chippa United. It is not an easy project, but I am excited about it.
“We are building a team and hopefully I can take [on board] everything I learnt from Rulani at Sundowns because he was the one who brought me closer to the first team at Chloorkop and took me with him to Wydad. I will take some of those things I learnt from him while applying my ideas and hopefully we can have a successful season.”
Mpengesi is notorious for being impatient with coaches and Badela is fully aware only results will keep him in the job for any length of time.
“If you ask any coach, the only thing that keeps them in the job is results. I had good conversations with the chairman and he indicated what he expects from me.
“I do know that when results don’t come, the first person that is looked at is the coach. I have to make sure I protect my players every day and make sure I prepare them well during the week so they are ready for matches.
“I am not worried about losing my job — sometimes you can win the title and still lose your job, sometimes you could be in a good position and still lose your job. My focus is to improve the players and hopefully the results will come. I am not worried about anything else.”
Badela said he and Mali are working closely together.
“It is a huge responsibility but the spotlight should be on the players because they are the most important people in the football club. We are just there to support them.
“This is his first chance as a sporting director in the PSL and it is my first time as coach in the league. We have a big target on our backs and it is about putting players and the club first. Everything else will come after that.
“Sometimes we disagree on certain things. If you work with people and you agree on everything you know there is a problem. We are following the ambition and the direction that chairman wants us to take.”
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