Makhanya reveals why Pirates’ Masilela can excel in several positions

Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Joseph Makhanya says Simphiwe Masilela’s versatility was evident long before he established himself in the first team.

The 22-year-old has won approval from Pirates supporters for his performances in midfield, while also filling in at right-back. However, Makhanya says Masilela’s development included experience as a centre-back and defensive midfielder, with coaches regularly debating where he would be most effective.

“You see him now playing multiple positions, it did not start there in the first team, even at development, he used to play as a centre-back, we used to play him as a right-back, so we knew this was a player with the ability to play different positions, he could fit in anywhere,” Makhanya told KickOff.

Makhanya, known as ‘Dukuduku’, coached Pirates’ feeder team Pele Pele in the Gauteng ABC Motsepe League before working with the club’s DStv Diski Challenge side.

He said Masilela’s ability to adapt was also considered when Pirates faced opponents who preferred to build attacks from defence.

“You know at some point we used to have a lot of differences between us the coaches, especially at the development, we wanted to see which position he will thrive the most. So most of the time, right-back came into play, at that time we had arguments among ourselves that maybe right-back is a position he is going to be seen at,” Makhanya said.

“So we’re not surprised that he can play right-back (for the first team), he fits in nicely. He is a player that will give you a shift in any position. When we were playing against a team we knew they are building up (from the back), we would play him as a ten to press higher. So he is a player with a lot of work on him.”

Development through different roles

Makhanya said the coaching staff used different positions to test Masilela’s understanding and broaden his skills, rather than settling immediately on one role.

“We argued which position would suit him best, is it right-back, centre-back, DM (defensive midfielder)? There are certain positions that when you see, maybe as a DM, does he have the attributes to play at a higher level? Or is he a player who needs a bit of time to understand, because as a DM, it means there’s a lot happening around you,” he explained.

He added that each position presented a different learning challenge. A right-back had to deal primarily with a direct opponent, while a centre-back had to manage the space behind him. A defensive midfielder, meanwhile, needed to understand the movement and risks developing around him.

“But if you play as a right-back, you only deal with a direct opposition, centre-back you know there’s no one behind you, so those are some of the things, you take a player through those stages, especially when you see that he has mastered this or that, we try to push him into the next position. We had a serious debate,” Makhanya said.

“We would argue for days, especially about his position, because whenever we would have a challenge in a certain position we would push him there. And that helps players develop better, you know there is a new skill that you can always learn as a player,” he added.