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Orlando Pirates attacker Oswin Appollis has credited coach Kwanele Kopo for reigniting his career at a time when he was on the verge of quitting football.
The pair’s connection dates back to the SuperSport United academy, and it was Kopo – now head coach of AmaTuks – who handed Appollis a lifeline three years ago at Pretoria Callies, effectively awakening the Bafana Bafana star.
In an interview on Metro FM’s Sports Night Amplified with Andile Ncube, the 24-year-old winger opened up for the first time about how Kopo made all this happen.
"I am very grateful for Kwanele Kopo. He is the one who saved my career, because at that point, I was at home and didn't want to play football anymore.
"Kopo called me and never gave up on me. He then called my mother, and she convinced me to go back.
"To this day, we still communicate with one another, and I believe that if it weren't for him, I wouldn't be where I am today."
Appollis said he was frustrated that he hadn't made significant strides after being one of the stars within the SuperSport development structures.
Meanwhile, midfielder Thalente Mbatha believes the Pirates squad has enough depth this season to challenge for every trophy on offer after clinching the MTN8 at the weekend in Nelspruit.
"We are a team with a lot of depth and quality. The bench won us the game, and when the coach refers to substitutes, he calls them impact players, which has instilled a lot of belief into the squad."
"With this young squad, we can compete for both the league and the CAF Champions League."
Pirates return to CAF Champions League action this weekend when they face Lesotho outfit Lioli FC in the preliminary round.
