Teko Modise named as Owen Da Gama’s best-ever PSL player

Owen Da Gama has named Teko Modise as the best player he coached during his career in the Premier Soccer League, describing the former Orlando Pirates and South Africa midfielder as “a genius”.

Da Gama made the admission as the PSL celebrates 30 years of existence this month. The former Orlando Pirates coach has also worked with clubs including Silver Stars, Bloemfontein Celtic and Highlands Park.

Known affectionately as ‘Rubber Doll’, Da Gama became prominent during Silver Stars’ giant-killing displays around the turn of the millennium. He went on to coach several prominent South African players at club and international level.

“There’s quite a few. As you know the goalkeepers are different, defenders are different, midfielders are different, and also strikers are different. Then you have those intelligent number 10s,” Da Gama told KickOff before selecting the players who stood out in each position.

Goalkeepers

Da Gama identified Tapuwa Kapini and Itumeleng Khune as the two goalkeepers who impressed him most.

“Tapuwa Kapini is the best goalkeeper I’ve ever coached. I coached him at Silver Stars and Highlands Park. His intelligence and ability with the ball set him apart. When we played at training, he played as an in-field player. He is just a naturally gifted footballer. Because they are different kinds of goalkeepers, I’d say it’s Kapini and Itumeleng Khune. I coached Khune at the Olympics in Brazil and also in the national team. He was naturally gifted. Probably one of the best goalkeepers I’ve ever seen in football. His distribution was way better than [that of] most goalkeepers currently playing in the English Premier League. I just couldn’t understand why he didn’t get an opportunity to play abroad.”

Defender

Erick Mathoho was Da Gama’s choice in defence, with the coach highlighting his physical ability and versatility.

“Erick Mathoho. A natural defender. He had pace, could play with both legs, and was good in the air. Others might say he was making mistakes, but it all depends on how you coach a player and the confidence you give him. If you take a player’s confidence away, he doesn’t perform the way he should. He was shy, introverted, and very quiet – that’s one thing that worked against him. He comes from a very difficult background. I had this boy at the Olympics, and Neymar couldn’t pass this guy. In his first game at Bloemfontein Celtic, he was Man of the Match. He marked Katlego Mphela of Sundowns when he was the best striker in the country, and we drew 0-0.”

Midfielders

Da Gama selected two midfielders: Modise and Daniel ‘Sailor’ Tshabalala.

“There are two who stand out by far: Teko Modise, whom I coached at Pirates and in the national team, and [Daniel] ‘Sailor’ Tshabalala. When I got to Pirates, Teko had not scored a single goal in the PSL. He was playing as a winger, and I made him a number 10 and he went on to become the best in this country. Same as Sailor, who could play as a central defender, central midfielder, and playmaker.”

Strikers

Peter Shalulile and Hareaipha ‘Simba’ Marumo were Da Gama’s preferred forwards.

“Two players stand out for me: Peter Shalulile and [Hareaipha] ‘Simba’ Marumo. When we won the Telkom Cup, he scored a hat-trick in the final. He played for Sundowns, went to Italy, and unfortunately broke his leg. Nobody wanted him in South Africa. I gave him a chance at Silver Stars, and he helped us win the Telkom Cup in 2006. Shalulile… well, his record speaks for him. When I got him at Highlands Park, he played as a winger, and I converted him into a striker. He broke every record set by a foreign player in South Africa.”

Despite the quality of those selections, Da Gama’s overall choice was clear.

“But the best player I have coached in the PSL is Teko Modise. He was a genius that boy.”