Bryanston Warriors Football Club’s star shares his journey as the youngest coach

Emmanuel Saka describes himself as a rugby and football player, but foremost, a coach. Saka was born in 2002 of Malawian extraction and raised in the City of Gold.

Saka attended primary school at Witkoppen Primary in Fourways and that is when his passion for sports began. He continued his high school studies at Amazing Grace, in Randburg. He chose to follow his passion instead of going to a higher institution.

He started coaching at 16, coaching children between six and nine years old at Bryanston Warriors FC.

“I grew up participating in school tournaments. I started as a rugby player at my primary school but due to the injury, I had to quit and later I focused on soccer and coaching,” said Saka, the Bryanston Warriors FC’s U6–13 coach.

According to Saka, the most important thing as a coach was knowing his players, knowing how to talk to each player, what made each of them perform and what made them happy.

Saka said his coach Kudakwashi Mubaiwa introduced the culture of hard work.

“He shared with us a lot about being a professional at an earlier stage of my early training as a coach, so it was easy for us to adapt to the pressure when we were finally on the senior side. He also made me believe that only hard work can take us to the promised land, so he wanted players who would work hard every day,” added Saka.

“He was a father figure, more than just a coach. He would lend the youngsters an ear at any given time.”

Saka listed five qualities of a good coach:

• The best coaches have high emotional intelligence
• Need to know how to deal with their players individually
• Coaches build teamwork
• They need to have a good relationship with their players – no player wants to play for a coach they dislike.

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