PSL at 30: Innocent Chikoya says South African football has lost its flair

Former Orlando Pirates and Manning Rangers left-back Innocent Chikoya believes the modern Premier Soccer League lacks the individual flair that characterised its early years.

The PSL is marking its 30th season, with Chikoya among the players who appeared in its inaugural campaign in 1996/97. He also won the first PSL title with Manning Rangers, who are now defunct.

Chikoya says the financial development of South African football is clear when compared with the period before the league was established, but believes the standard of individual talent has changed significantly.

“In 1995 I was playing for African Wanderers, and you can see the financial growth in our football compared to 1995, but there is a huge difference if you compare the talent that played back then and the current one; there is a huge difference,” Chikoya told KickOff.

He singled out former teammate Thabo Mngomeni as an example of the creativity that once featured more prominently in the league.

“The likes of Thabo Mngomeni had flair. He would tell you at training about a skill that he was going to try on matchday, and exactly it would happen as he said. He is one midfielder that I enjoyed playing with,” he said.

Chikoya does not believe present-day coaches are opposed to players expressing themselves, although he says their priority is ensuring that skills are used effectively within a team’s approach.

“I don’t think the current coaches are against flair, though, or what you call showboating. They just want you to implement it going forward. At the end of the day, the directors will be judging by results, and if you don’t have them, you are fired,” he added.

Having moved into coaching himself, Chikoya said he now understands the balance managers must find between encouraging creativity and demanding discipline from their players.

“Now that I’m a coach myself, there are things that I want my players to do, and there are things that I don’t want my players to do. Flair still has a place in the PSL, as long as we can do it with purpose,” he said.

While he believes the modern game contains less natural showmanship, Chikoya acknowledges that many current players remain highly gifted.

“If you see what most of these boys are doing now, and how skilful they are. They are not learning this flair in the gym; it’s something they are born with,” he added.