Former PSL coach Zeca Marques recalls earning R2,000 a month at start of career

Former Moroka Swallows and Black Leopards coach Zeca Marques has reflected on the early stages of his coaching career, including the R2,000 monthly salary he received in his first coaching job around 30 years ago.

Marques began coaching in the lower leagues at the age of 28, initially helping with development work before taking on more demanding responsibilities. His first coaching opportunity came at Inter Primrose, a club competing in the eastern leagues at Premier League level.

That was where he received his first payment as a coach. Marques said he earned approximately R2,000 a month, a figure that placed the financial realities of his early career in context.

His first professional coaching assignment was with Black Bees in the old Mvela League. He described the role as his first major challenge in management and an important step in his progression towards the professional game.

Before taking charge of a team, Marques had completed his first coaching qualification under the late Ted Dumitru at the African Soccer Academy. He said that experience came a long time ago and helped establish the foundations for his future career.

The former coach said he had always believed football management was the path he was meant to follow.

“I think I was born for coaching. I always saw myself as a football coach,” Marques said.

Even while he was still playing, he would organise teams for tournaments, which strengthened his interest in leading and preparing players. He added that he never imagined himself pursuing another profession.

Marques’ first appearance in a PSL match as a coach came in the MTN8 in 2012. It proved to be a memorable campaign, as his team went on to win the competition in the same year.

He said he could no longer remember the opponent in his first PSL fixture, although SuperSport United were the opponents in the final.

The MTN8 title remains the only trophy Marques has won as a head coach. Asked about individual recognition, he said he had never received an individual coaching award.

His first sending-off also came during his time at Primrose. Marques recalled that he challenged the referee after believing the official had not been honest, an exchange that resulted in the coach receiving a red card.

It was the first and only red card he has received as a coach.

Away from the touchline, Marques also remembered buying his first car for R6,000. It was a Toyota Corolla.

His first pair of football boots were Puma King boots, widely associated with Jomo Sono. Marques bought them himself when he was about 18, although he could no longer remember how much they had cost.

The memories provide a glimpse into a coaching journey that began in development football and the lower leagues before progressing to the PSL and an MTN8 triumph.