Veteran South African coach Khabo Zondo has heaped praise on Tim Sukazi and Sead Ramovic for opening their doors at TS Galaxy for his CAF B License internship.
The former Golden Arrows and Bloemfontein Celtic mentor, 62, has a long history in South African football but found himself struggling to secure a club in the Premier Soccer League to help him with his internship needed to complete his CAF B License course.
Galaxy was the first to agree, with Ramovic welcoming the experienced tactician into training and their recent 1-0 win over Orlando Pirates in Mbombela.
“You know at times some things need to be told as they are, I must say the person I should thank for the opportunity is the Chairman of the club,” he said.
“When one looks at the number of clubs I tried to talk to, to give me the opportunity to do this license, in order to keep myself educated through football.
“It never took him long, to try and give me the opportunity. He spoke to his coach [Sead Ramovic] and the coach as well was very welcoming and gave me the green light to do the internship with the club. It’s something I will always relish, what they have done for me.”
Zondo, whose last job in the PSL was with Royal AM is part of 25 coaches embarking on their B License program with SAFA Ekurhuleni and admits he’s been impressed with Ramovic, who has led the Rockets on the brink of a fourth-placed league finish.
Zondo was fully part of the squad in training during the week, with the club providing him with an official uniform and access to analysis, and tactics, in a full access behind-the-scenes experience of the Rockets technical team.
In what was unusual to be granted full access, Zondo admitted it’s an experience that he will never forget in his lifetime, suggesting he would not have received the same treatment at other clubs.
“There are so many things I share with the coach in terms of how we look at the game, how players are trained,” he said.
“I came at a time where no coach would have allowed anyone to come into their environment with three games to go in the league, playing for a position, the team is number four, not too many coaches would have allowed this, irrespective of where they are.
“It’s an opportunity I won’t forget in my life, it’s an experience I will never forget in my life, being around a very knowledgeable coach, you can see the way he does things and the cohesion of everything – how things are done professionally.
“There’s discipline and [punctuality] in everything they do, which is also very important,” Zondo added.
With two matches left before the curtain comes down on the 2023/24 DStv Premiership campaign, Galaxy need just a single win to all but secure a fourth-place finish. Awaiting them is another mammoth task against league champions Mamelodi Sundowns at Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday, May 21. The corresponding fixture saw Masandawana secure a 3-0 victory in Tshwane.
