How Kwanele Kopo revived Oswin Appollis’ career from the brink

Kwanele Kopo has revealed how he helped revive Oswin Appollis’ career after the future Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana star spent more than a year without playing football.

Appollis had returned to Cape Town after leaving SuperSport United’s academy, with the club’s senior coach deciding he was not ready for first-team football. When Kopo became head coach of Pretoria Callies in January 2022, Appollis was the first player he thought of.

“It was sad to see him leave SuperSport because the coach at that time didn’t believe that he was ready to play,” Kopo told Soccer Laduma.

“But when I left SuperSport and I had an opportunity to be head coach somewhere, he was the first player I thought about. Because at that time, he had been sitting at home for over a year, not playing football.

“It was very painful for me as a football coach and for someone passionate about youngsters in South Africa and South African talent. I immediately phoned him. It took a lot of convincing to get him to come back, and I said to him, ‘Listen, you’re not going to start a lot of games, but give me a season to try and get you back into the system.’”

Reports at the time described Appollis as overweight and unfit, while the player was considering abandoning football to find regular employment. Kopo’s call was the only approach he received from a coach during that period.

Kopo also had to persuade Pretoria Callies to take a chance on a player who had been out of the game for so long. The club eventually signed Appollis for the 2022-23 Motsepe Foundation Championship season after several training sessions.

The coach used the prospect of international football to reignite his ambition. Kopo was an assistant to David Notoane in South Africa’s Under-23 set-up, which had qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics held in 2021.

“I felt that Oswin, having played for South Africa at Under-20, deserved to play for Under-23,” Kopo said. “So I said to him, ‘Listen, the next generation is your age. You can’t miss out on Under-23.’ I think having spoken to him and his mother, that was the ultimate convincing.”

Appollis made 28 league appearances and scored six goals for Pretoria Callies in 2022-23. His performances earned him a move to Polokwane City in June 2023, after chairman Johnny Mogaladi recognised his potential as the club prepared to return to the Premier Soccer League.

He made 54 league appearances, scored eight goals and received his first Bafana Bafana call-ups during two seasons with Polokwane City.

SuperSport academy coach Kopo had first identified Appollis while working with chief scout Godfrey Mosoetsa.

“When we brought Oswin to SuperSport, we felt that he was good enough for our programme,” he said. “In our youth teams, he did exceptionally well. Very good technique. Very aggressive player. Very confident.”

Kopo added that Appollis was an “effective player” because his dribbling and movement regularly produced an end product.

Orlando Pirates signed Appollis on 2 July 2025. The 25-year-old scored against Polokwane City on his competitive debut in a 2-0 win and finished his first campaign with 12 goals and nine assists in all competitions.

He scored nine goals and provided six assists in 30 league appearances, winning the 2026 Betway Premiership Midfielder of the Season award.

For South Africa, Appollis supplied three assists in a 5-0 win over Eritrea in a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on 30 September 2026.

“For me, he has four assists, because even the rebound is from a shot from him,” Kopo said. “So I’m happy to have had a hand in a player that has gone on to contribute so much to South Africa.”