Zeca Marques reveals chairman’s half-time team talk and tactical interference in PSL

Former PSL coach Zeca Marques has described the unusual scenes he witnessed behind the scenes in South African domestic football, including a chairman delivering a team talk at half-time and written instructions demanding substitutions.

Speaking to KickOff for its “Locker Room Secrets” feature, Marques said his happiest coaching experience came at Moroka Swallows, despite the difficulties shared by the clubs he managed.

“The most satisfactory was at Moroka Swallows, even though they all had the same challenges,” he said. “But Swallows brought the most enjoyment because of the group of players we had and the success that we achieved.”

Marques was also asked about the most chaotic incident he had seen in a PSL dressing room while his team was losing.

“A chairman walked into the change room to give a team talk,” he said. “He just walked in and said, ‘I want to talk to the team’, and then he gave a team talk.”

The intervention came during the interval and left Marques unhappy.

“Of course, I was not happy with that because what the chairmen say doesn’t make sense most of the time,” he added. “And the players, they just look at each other and they carry on.”

Instructions from the chairman

Marques said one club chairman regularly attempted to influence his decisions during matches. Instead of receiving a direct call or message, he would be handed a note by the kit manager.

“There’s only one club where the chairman used to do that,” he said. “The kit manager used to come to me with a piece of paper. It was always a piece of paper written, ‘Player A must come out for Player B’ that was handed over to me.”

The coach sometimes found the suggested changes reasonable, but on other occasions ignored them.

“Sometimes what was written on it made sense; sometimes I would just put it in my pocket and move on,” Marques said.

He believes club owners can be swayed by people around them while matches are in progress.

“In South Africa, club owners are surrounded by friends who give them advice during a game, and the chairman listens to them,” he said. “They get influenced by outsiders.”

Marques rejected the idea that PSL clubs operate perfectly behind the scenes, saying “a lot of them are disorganized”. He also believes player power is not unique to South Africa.

“It exists worldwide,” he said. “As a coach, if you manage the group well and remain fair, you will minimize the Player Power.”

Chabangu and the Soweto Derby

Asked which player he coached failed to fulfil his potential, Marques named Lerato Chabangu.

“He was misled by friends,” he said. “Choosing short-term satisfaction comes with long-term distraction.”

The most intimidating away dressing rooms he encountered were those used during Soweto Derbies, when Moroka Swallows faced Kaizer Chiefs or Orlando Pirates.

Marques said he never received advice from another PSL coach after a match, arguing that the profession is defined by competition.

“Coaches survive on other people’s downfall, so they will never advise you,” he said. “They really don’t care about you. It’s the survival of the fittest.”