Kopo reveals how he persuaded Appollis to revive his football career

Former University of Pretoria coach Kwanele Kopo has described how he helped restart Oswin Appollis’ career after the Orlando Pirates attacker considered walking away from football.

Kopo was involved in scouting Appollis, now a 25-year-old Bafana Bafana international, for the SuperSport United academy after the player arrived from Cape Town-based Ajax. Appollis eventually progressed to the first team, but was released after a change in the club’s technical staff and playing approach.

The pair later reunited at Pretoria Callies, more than a year after both had left Matsatsantsa. By then, Appollis had spent more than 18 months away from the game and told Kopo he no longer wanted to play.

“Oswin, we scouted him at SuperSport while I was still at SuperSport for the academy from Cape Town, from Ajax,” Kopo said on the Arena Sports Show with Mahlatse Mphahlele.

“He was a very talented youngster. We felt that he fitted within the model at SuperSport and the vision of SuperSport to progress youngsters. Deservedly so, he was promoted to the senior team.

“But, obviously, with the change of coaches in the first team and the change of style, he was deemed surplus to requirements, which was sad. It was really sad to see him go.”

After joining Pretoria Callies, Kopo immediately thought of Appollis. The player had represented South Africa at the Under-20 World Cup, but had subsequently disappeared from professional football.

“I had the opportunity to go to Pretoria Callies and the president, Mr [Moses] Malada, recruited me and the first player I thought of was Oswin,” Kopo said.

“I think it was over 18 months of sitting at home. I called him and I said, ‘Oswin, come and play’, and he told me flat he doesn’t want to play football, straight.

“He said, ‘Coach, I’m done with football’. And sometimes football does that to us. You get such bad experiences and you become discouraged.”

Kopo continued contacting Appollis for weeks. With the player in Cape Town and Kopo in Johannesburg, the coach eventually called Appollis’ mother before making an offer to the player.

“And I pleaded with him. I said, ‘Oswin, you played national Under-20. Beside your talent, you played South Africa Under-20, you’re still young. You cannot disappear from football’,” he said.

“I told him, ‘Give me one season, boy. Come here, give me one season and if you’re not in professional football after one season, you can go back to Cape Town’. That’s a deal I made with him.”

Kopo warned Appollis that he would not earn the same money as he would in the PSL, but said the immediate aim was to help him return to the professional game. Appollis arrived out of shape, but the club’s staff worked with him and chairman Moses Malada approved the signing.

Appollis now holds the 2026 Betway Premiership Midfielder of the Season award after recording nine goals and six assists last season. He has also impressed for Bafana Bafana, setting up three goals in a 5-0 win over Eritrea in a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier last month.