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| Slayer-in-Chief: Allan Freese |
THERE is a delightful coolness to Allan Earl Freese as his
Platinum Stars ice-berg continues to sink the Titanic giants of South African
football.
Super-cool. Distinctly unfashionable. No contract. Sharp as
a razor. The ultimate Caretaker Manager. Everyone thought last year’s PSL
runners-up were in for a Phokeng struggle this season after Cavin Johnson
decamped for SuperSport United.
Instead, Freese stepped up from assistant boss to guide his
side past Orlando Pirates to the MTN8 trophy before, on Saturday night, he
engineered a shock 1-0 defeat of double-winning Kaizer Chiefs to take his side
to an unprecedented second cup final in his first season in charge.
Now 57, Freese had his moments as a player. I watched the
AmaKhosi beaten with SABC analyst Desh Bhaktawer on Saturday night. The former
Orlando Pirates goalkeeper explained: “Freesy was a fair player. I remember in
the old days at Arcadia Shepherds, Stan Lapot rated him as one of the top left
backs in the country.”
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| The Rock: Allan's brother Howard captained Chiefs |
Driving happily down the highway of unexpected success on
the North West’s N4 on Sunday, Freese laughs at the memory. “Yes, I got the SMS
from Deshi after the game. Those were good days! But this season I’m having
fun. My brother Howard (“The Rock” captained Kaizer Chiefs, Allan went to
Orlando Pirates) just called me. He said: ‘It wasn’t Kaizer Chiefs playing
badly, it was Platinum Stars playing well. That was the difference.’ And I
think he’s right.
“I have got a bunch of guys who play for each other at
Stars, not individuals. Everyone can surprise me, not just Robert N’gambi (their
Malawian top scorer) – how about Thabiso Semenya popping up with his first
goal?
“We’re playing good football. People seem to forget that,
they concentrate on how badly the other side are playing. But we beat Gavin
Hunt’s Bidvest Wits home and away in the MTN8 semi-finals, we won the final on
penalties against a Pirates side doing well in Africa… and we beat champions
Chiefs fair and square.”
Despite breaking a seven-year trophy drought and keeping his
side in the running for the PSL title while reaching the Telkom KO final at
Mbombela on December 7, Freese remains on the assistant coach’s contract he
signed two seasons at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace.
With Orlando Pirates looming in a repeat of the MTN8 final, he laughs: “I’ve been in to see the chairman a few times,
we’ve talked about a new contract, but I’m doing okay without one. You know how
football is. I got a pay rise, so did my assistant Willem Jackson.
“If you think I deserve better, you’ll have to say that. I
couldn’t possibly comment!”
So I will. Dikwena football manager Senzo Mazingisa says the
creeping crocodiles, funded by BaPhokeng King Leruo’s platinum profits, won’t
offer Freese a contract until May.
That’s fine. By that time, Freese will have quite a CV I
suspect. And other clubs will be looking. How do you reward a man who has already picked up a
trophy and reached two cup finals before December?
By offering him a much BETTER deal than the one he would
have signed five months ago as the quiet understudy assuming control. There’s
an icy sense of justice in that for Mr Freeze.
BOLLOCKZ! my show on www.ballz.co.za, airs every Thursday from 9am. See the Ballz channel on www.YouTube.com for our growing collection of interviews with the big names in South African football.
You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news… and read my “Neal and Pray” column every Tuesday in www.thenewage.co.za.
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