SuperSport coach Tembo prefers quality over quantity
SuperSport United head coach Kaitano Tembo is not obsessed with the idea of having a large squad, instead, he prefers having players who can perform well when deployed in different positions.
by Phakaaathi Reporter
Kaitano Tembo, coach of Supersport United (Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix)
Tembo emphasised this by bringing on the versatile Iqraam Rayners into his team, who is set to join Matsatsantsa A Pitori at the start of next season from Absa Premiership rookies Stellenbosch FC.
The 24-year-old may be listed as a striker but he can easily play on either flank much like strikers Bradley Grobler and Evans Rusike.
“We play with a front three and when you look at it, Bradley can play anywhere in that front three and the same applies to Rusike, they are not just strikers. We need players who are able to play anywhere because it helps, even in the midfield,” Tembo told Power FM.
“For example, Aubrey Modiba can play on the left-wing, he can play in midfield and he can play left-back. He will always be important to the team. We also have Teboho Mokoena who can play a sitting role – the role that we call the Dean Furman role – and he can play an attacking role. That is what we are trying to have in the team so that we don’t have a huge squad because sometimes having a huge can cause a lot of problems. If you can have players who can play multiple roles, it helps a lot,” he added.
In his second full season with the capital city-based side, Tembo says he is still learning the tricks of the trade, even though he has reached two cup finals and won one of those.
“As a coach, you never really know where you are going to end up but for me at the moment, this is my second season as a head coach and I want to use this opportunity to develop myself and improve as much as I can because I think I am still a bit of a novice in coaching but I think in time, I will be able to think about other things but right now I need to focus on SuperSport. I still have not achieved much in terms of being a head coach,” said Tembo.