The most polarising figure in South African football has claimed his third Premier Soccer League championship. That's seven pieces of silverware in six seasons with Mamelodi Sundowns. So cooing are the Chloorkop crowd, they've christened their coach The Only One.
DENMARK AND RUSSIA HAVE BEEN TOUTED AS A DESTINATION FOR PERCY TAU.
I don't think Percy should go to Denmark. The league in Denmark, what are you gonna get? Denmark is [a place for] 19 year olds to get game time until they're 21, nice shopping window for Europe. It's like if you go to Belgium you must play for Standard Liege, Anderlecht, Club Brugge ... Players like [Eden] Hazard, [Romelu] Lukaku were recruited from those clubs.
I saw Lukaku playing for Genk when I was watching Anele's team when I was with Bafana. If you're not gonna play for those top three teams that are making Champions League group, I don't think you must go to Denmark. Russia is a touch and go for me. We've had so many players go to Russia. Do we have a successful story from Russia? Once upon a time we had five, neh. There are only two players who really made it big in Russia, it was McBeth Sibaya and Jacob Lekgetho. They were playing in the Champions League group stages.
WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE TAU PLAY?
France is a good league, La liga, Bundesliga, EPL and Serie A. But to play in those leagues you really have to be a very good football player. I wish Percy was 21. He's 23. When you go to France they buy you to sell you. If you are Hazard they sell you to Chelsea, if you're [Kylian] Mbappé they sell you to PSG [Paris Saint-Germain]. If you're Benzema, to [Real] Madrid.
If you're not in Marseille, Lyon, Monaco it is a little bit of a tough stage there. He is our top goalscorer. He knows he can do better and convert more, even for Bafana. I don't think Percy will go now, he is under contract.But erm, you see if your question is do you want him to go now, probably it's the right time to go. You have to be honest. He works hard, looks good on the ball, he's got very good game attitude. It's unbelievable that he's never injured, and he plays all the games with high intensity, very influential player.
He's leading our attack and the Bafana Bafana attack, he's just transformed into an important player. His ratio of scoring with the chances is the only thing he needs to fix to play in Europe. He's the right specimen. He can play on the left as a winger and as a striker and he still makes opportunities even if he plays as a left winger.
SUNDOWNS SCORE FEWER THAN THE CHANCES THEY CREATE.
We are helped by Villa [Sibusiso Vilakazi] scores eight, Zwane scores six, Percy scores nine, Wayne Arendse will score his odd three, [Tebogo] Langerman will score two, [Hlompho] Kekana will give you four, five, [Tiyani] Mabunda's got three, [Ricardo] Nascimento has his penalties.
This has been the story for the past four years. Even [Thokozani] Sekotlong has two or three goals and he hasn't played. The positive side is the way we play, we move around, we interchange positions, everybody can score. At the same time we don't have a top goalscorer. It would be the first time since I'm with Sundowns we have a top goalscorer. (Tau is tied on 11 goals with Polokwane City's Rodney Ramagalela on the PSL top goalscorers' chart).
A THIRD LEAGUE TITLE MEANS WHAT TO YOU?
Personally, when you're coaching Chiefs, Pirates and Sundowns you must win the league. Even Wits. Because we've got players, quality, the resources. We're expected to win the league. Man United, Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool, Spurs. Those teams have capacity to win the league. So, should I be praised for winning the league?What am I expected to do? I have to win the league. Above all for me what is more important is the Champions League. We need to play it every year. If you have a team that is first second, first second, for four, five years in a row, I think it is a good team.
YOUR THOUGHTS ON KAIZER CHIEFS.
Ong kenya mo mmolelong (you are putting me in the fire). Steve [Komphela, the former Chiefs coach] was unfortunate. In football you also need luck. I'm not saying luck will make you win.
But you need a ball that can hit the post and come out less than the one that hits the post and goes in.
He found a way to play that was good to keep the team going. You could never say they are a bad team but you could say they were not a very effective team but you could never say they are gonna win. He found a way of playing that was difficult for Chiefs to lose but was not easy to win. Why I say this. It is the draws. It is the number of goals you score, you concede. They conceded less goals but they don't score.
His team had integrity. It was never a weak team, an embarrassing team. You must win more. But let's be honest. [Ernst] Middendorp inherited a good team at Maritzburg United from Steve.
When he left Maritzburg for Chiefs, they made the top eight. Even Free State Stars, when Steve was there they were top eight. So really, it is not a disaster, but probably he needed more time. But in football there's no more time, you've got to make it.YOU'VE MADE IT IN THE PSL, NOW YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE IT IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WITHOUT KHAMA BILLIAT.
I don't think Khama will stay. He is not renewing. But I'm over that. I've accepted. He spent five years with us. We bought him from Ajax [Cape Town] at that time R7-million. He gave us a good five years. It was worth it, money well spent.
He is 27 years old now. Rumours are saying he is going to Azerbaijan (to play for) Qarabag.
Those guys have got oil and a lot of money. It's a rich country. He must just say it properly and then we give him a nice send-off like Alje Schut left proper. I hope it goes that way. He was worth the money spent.
WHERE IS YOUR TEAM LACKING?
If you ask me where do we lack I'd be lying if I say it is in this position. Now we can't hold on to our players. Before, Sundowns used to hold on to players. People would even say you're coming to jail when you come here because you can never go. Now it's changed. Players are leaving. It's a bit of a problem. I build a team and every time the team collapses. I lose important players now. I have to be on top of my game in terms of recruitment.
When you lose Zungu, Mabunda came. We lost Keagan, Percy came. Now we're losing Khama, either [Gastón] Sirino makes it or Tony Silva makes it. If Percy leaves, you've gotta be on top of your game. You have to recruit at all times...