Golden Arrows coach Mabhuti Khenyeza says he is not interested in what is happening at his former club, and to his former teammate and friend Shaun Bartlett at Cape Town Spurs, because he has to focus on his own team.
Bartlett worked extensively with Khenyeza as a player and as a coach, setting him up what is today the quickest goal scored in the Soweto Derby, when Kaizer Chiefs netted in after 19 seconds against Orlando Pirates in November 2007.
The former Bafana Bafana striker’s quick-thinking released Khenyeza from a throw-in and Bhubesi swivelled in the air to score the goal to beat the late Senzo Meyiwa at Kings Park Stadium – a game that was watched by FIFA’s entourage as the 2010 FIFA World Cup preliminary draw took place at ICC in Durban.
In that season of 2007/08, they were together when Chiefs won the Telkom Knockout by beating Mamelodi Sundowns but Khenyeza lasted only that term before joining Ajax Cape Town, now known as Spurs.
He helped Spurs beat Orlando Pirates to win the same competition in the following season at Chatsworth Stadium, scoring twice as Craig Rosslee’s side won 2-1.
Later, Khenyeza was reunited with Bartlett at Arrows, joining them in the second half of the 2014/15 season when Abafana Bes’Thende were campaigning in the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
The 41-year-old, born in Howick in KZN, scored seven goals as Bartlett led Abafana Bes’Thende to PSL topflight promotion.
But Bartlett’s contract was never renewed by Arrows’ management, despite having guided the club to the top flight.
Bartlett celebrated his second topflight promotion with Spurs via the play-offs last season, but they have started very badly, losing all five matches to sit at the bottom of the log with zero points.
But Khenyeza, knowing things can change very quickly in football, said he is fully focused on his team and not what happens at their opponents.
“My worry is my team and what we need to do and move on because my focus is not on Cape Town Spurs. It has to be at Arrows,” said Khenyeza.
“Right now, we respect them as other opponents as we normally do but the main focus is on Arrows. If they won or they haven’t won, it’s their own problem.”
Khenyeza was recently given the sole coaching responsibility at Arrows after Vusumuzi Vilakazi left the club earlier this month and his first game in charge was a goalless draw against Stellenbosch FC at Mpumalanga Stadium on Saturday.
But despite dropping points, Arrows sit second in the DStv Premiership with 11 points after six matches, and Khenyeza insisted Arrows will build on their good start because he was there from the beginning.
“The same thing that you are talking about [the best start we have had], I was amongst the people who were part of that,” he added.
“It is not something new. You can say there is a bit of pressure, but there is none. The media always looks ahead to what is wrong or what might happen, but I can’t control that.
“There is also no change of philosophy here because the club has its way of playing.”
Arrows face CT Spurs at Athlone Stadium at 19:30 on Tuesday evening.
