Golden Arrows head coach Manqoba Mngqithi has explained why Orlando Pirates veteran Deon Hotto is the perfect role model for the younger players in his team and the league.
Hotto, 35, has been one of the standout players in Pirates’ side, helping the Buccaneers to challenge Mamelodi Sundowns in the Betway Premiership title race.
On Tuesday, Hotto again put out a superb display and collected his fourth assist across his last six league games, leading Mnqgithi to praise him after their 5-0 defeat at the Orlando Amstel Arena.
“I always make examples with Hotto, when I talk to my players because I think Hotto is a good football player, but I think his strength is his intensity,” he stated.
“The way he works, the way he runs is a lesson for a younger player that is still earning nothing, that still has not achieved anything.
“When you see Hotto’s age and you look at the intensity he plays with – you can ask any of my players, I always make mention of him because I like the effort he puts in his game.
“And I see the culture that is growing in this Pirates team, they run. You see Moremi is in that mood now, no laziness, and you see Nemtajela works very hard and you look at these boys from all angles, and you realize my boys can still learn something if a team as big as Pirates runs like this.
“Even at half-time I was saying, if we can’t run like Pirates and they are a bigger team than us, it means we are not hungry. As a younger team and younger players that should be having ambition, I expect them to work a little harder and never be overworked by any team, but rather maybe we can be naive, ignorant here and there, but the work ethic is something that we always pride ourselves with.
“The lesson of today, the dribbles that Hotto had in the first half, I think those are the lessons my players can learn from.”
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