Cape Town - Win or lose in today’s Telkom Knockout final against SuperSport United, Cape Town City have captured the imagination of the Mother City, and the whole of South Africa for that matter. They are playing an exciting, attractive brand of football. And not only that, they are winning games as well. The coach responsible for the Cape club’s magnificent rise to prominence in its debut season in the PSL is 46-year-old Eric Tinkler.
Football writer Rodney Reiners managed to sit down with Tinkler for a chat during a hectic schedule as he prepared his squad for Saturday's cup final.
You’ve had great success as a player; what advice would you offer to young footballers making their way in the game?
In order to achieve your dream to become a professional footballer, you have to want it more than anyone else, and then work harder than anyone else.
You were also part of the successful Bafana Bafana squad who won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1996. Tell us a bit about that team.
We had a group of players who were hungry for success. Some of us were already overseas, but we wanted to achieve more by going to bigger clubs and getting bigger contracts, while those who were local were looking to get their opportunity to move to a club overseas.
With the benefit of your experience, why is it that football in South Africa has struggled to replicate that era?
There are many factors, not only one. The passion and desire are not what it used to be and, in my opinion, we demand things without putting in the work to achieve those things. We have a sense of entitlement. The younger players of today have other distractions occupying their time, like malls, cinemas, Playstations, etc.
Since the days of that 1996 Bafana squad, and after that players like Steven Pienaar and Benni McCarthy, South Africa hasn’t seen too many players sign for clubs in England. Why is that?
The depth and the strength of your national team will determine whether South African players will be noticed by overseas clubs. When your national team is not performing, scouts and agents do not really look at you as a potential overseas-based player.
Now at Cape Town City, you’ve done some amazing work in a short space of time. Give us some insight into your coaching philosophy, and what you think is the most important requirement for coaching success.
My coaching philosophy is that you are only as good as the players you have around you, hence it is important for me, my technical team and my players to have a good working relationship. I like my players to take responsibility for their own growth, and our growth as a team. But I am also a demanding coach and I expect only their best in training and in games.
Players must be able to express themselves without losing track of what we want to achieve. I want to play attractive, quick football and in order to achieve this, you need players who are comfortable on the ball, and feel supported by the team and technical staff.
Having hurriedly put this City squad together, they have responded wonderfully. What is the secret?
Hard work and the steadfast belief that we are heading in the right direction.
What is your opinion of SuperSport United coach Stuart Baxter?
Stuart is a very experienced coach who has worked at all levels of the game, even as Bafana coach. Players seem to like him and enjoy playing under him, which is very important. He, like me, puts a lot of focus on his team’s transitional play and has achieved success with it, particularly at Kaizer Chiefs.
Heading into the final, what would you say are SuperSport’s strengths, and how are you going to nullify it?
SuperSport, like Wits, are a very physical team. They play with a lot of strength and speed. They have a mix of players who are battlers and others who are footballers - we need to match them for aggression, speed and effort. We must defend well on set-pieces and we must be aware of their transitional play into attack.
Who is the best striker in the Premier League right now, and why?
Diego Costa. He is a natural goal-scorer.
What is the best goal you’ve scored?
Playing for Wits against Witbank Spurs, I scored a direct free-kick from 30 yards outside the box.
What is the best goal you’ve seen scored?
Roberto Carlos’ amazing free-kick for Brazil against France in 1997.
Who is/was your favourite footballer in the world?
Zinedine Zidane.
The best dribbler of the ball you ever played against?
Zinedine Zidane.
If you could change one thing in football, what would it be?
Goal-line technology.
Who would you say is the best passer of the ball that you have ever seen?
Andreas Pirlo.
What is your favourite football memory?
Winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 1996.
Barcelona or Real Madrid, and why?
Barcelona. They play the brand of football I enjoy.
Funniest chirp you’ve heard?
The coach is shouting to the physio to hurry up and get the player back onto the field. The physio replies that the player is concussed and does not even know his own name. The coach replies: 'Tell him he is Diego Maradona, and get him back onto the f******* field!