KNYSNA NEWS - Knysna local and former Supersport United captain-turned-assistant-coach, Thabo September (38), spent some time in Knysna during the most recent international break in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) DStv Premiership.
In an interview with Knysna-Plett Herald, September, who now lives in Pretoria, reflected on years gone by as well as what it's been like serving as a coach thus far.
September was born in Knysna in 1982, and was primarily raised in the White Location suburb of the town. He was born into a football family, his father having founded the now-defunct local club Knysna Bafana a year before he was born.
Early beginnings
He started out in the club's youth systems at age 10, and after a few years of craving more game time he opted to join his father's rivals, United Brothers.
"Whenever we played against Knysna Bafana, I always wanted to play my best to prove that I am good enough to play top-quality football," September said.
At age 17 he returned to Knysna Bafana, playing for them until 2003 when he moved to Cape Town, having completed a degree in sports management at the then PE Technikon George Campus. While in the Mother City, September plied his trade for the now-defunct Mother City FC before going for trials at the Umtata Bush Bucks club in East London.
After a year with Bush Bucks, he signed for SuperSport United ahead of the 2006/07 season. "It was a very big move for myself and the family at the time," he said.
In his second season at the club, Matsatsantsa (SuperSport United) won their first-ever PSL title, and ahead of the 2008/09 season he was named captain of the senior team, with the daunting task of leading it into the CAF Champions League competition in his first season.
"It was a big ask, but I had a lot of support from the senior players at the club, and that helped a lot," he said.
September would lead the team to two more successive PSL titles, with the 2009/10 season win completing a hat trick of championships - a feat only matched by Mamelodi Sundowns. September captained the side for a total of five years before injuries began limiting his game time, and he was instead named club captain.
Proudest moment
For September, the three titles oddly enough don't represent his proudest moments as a SuperSport United player; instead it is the 2011/12 Nedbank Cup triumph over Mamelodi Sundowns where he scored the opening goal of the final.
"Sundowns had an incredible team at the time, and for us to beat them 2-0 in the final was something that really stands out for me, and scoring the first goal is a massive personal moment," September recalled.
He eventually called quits on his playing career in 2016 due to persisting knee injuries, ending with more than 150 appearances for the club, three PSL titles, two Nedbank Cup titles, as well as one Telkom Knockout and one MTN 8 trophy.
Four years on from his retirement, and September is the second assistant coach to SuperSport United's senior team, the head coach of the club's Multichoice Diski Challenge (MDC) team, and an ambassador for the MTN 8 competition. He is already coaching some of his former compatriots on the pitch - something he finds ever so slightly surreal.
"It's been an incredible journey to be part of the technical staff at the club, everyone has helped me grow so much as a coach," he said.
SuperSport finished last season in fifth place, narrowly missing out on a CAF Confederations Cup spot, and currently sits eighth on the PSL log. "Obviously we want to win the league first and foremost, but we expect ourselves to finish inside the top three at least," September said.
"This is what we will be striving for, and with no Telkom Knockout this season, there's only the PSL and the Nedbank Cup titles on offer, so there are limited trophies and all to play for."
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