Thabo Koki Vilakati and a lost story.

And so, three of the men who led the Mbabane Swallows' revolution of the past decade are gone. Sibusiso Manana in 2017, Victor Gamedze in 2018 and now the effervescent Thabo 'Koki' Vilakati have all departed. Tomorrow is not promised.

Sandile "Beyond 2000" Zwane now remains the only surviving member of that knowledgeable leadership foursome that changed the face of local football & set the foundations for dominance that reached continental levels.

This is perhaps a chilling reminder of how easily knowledge gets lost, how easily historic moments can be half-told as protagonists are so tragically lost before they have even told their stories- as in the cases of this dearly departed trio.

"Beyond 2000," Tony Tsabedze, Wonder 'Samba Jive' Nhleko & others might remain but the story of Swallows' dominance through the eyes of Thabo 'Koki' Vilakati has been lost for good. This should be a wake up call for everyone in sport: as we witness history in sport, let's also ensure that we let those legends involved in historic moments tell the stories of their successes, triumphs, challenges and defeats.

We shouldn't wait for tomorrow because tomorrow is not promised. 50 years from now, future generations will learn about the first club from Eswatini to reach the group stages of Africa's number one club competition. They will want to know more about this club that went two full seasons unbeaten in the Premier League. How much will they learn from the coach who was at the helm of it all? Very little.

This is why we shouldn't let this happen again. Dennis "Yuki" Masina & Mfanafuthi "Taribo" Bhembe are legends of recent years with amazing stories to tell, spanning years in local football, in Europe & South Africa as well as America. We should avail platforms for 'Yuki' & 'Taribo' to tell those stories not only for future generations but to also inspire the aspiring sports stars of our time.

As Thabo 'Koki' Vilakati's coffin is lowered this coming weekend, with it we will be burying a story we should have told. It's a mistake we should learn from.

All this, however, shouldn't take away from the contribution of the man to local football. His CV speaks for itself. Thabo Vilakati gave to local football and sport as a whole as much as anyone. His place in the pantheon of coaching greats was long secured and his achievements will forever be a benchmark for generations of coaches to come.

He was as exciting to cover off the field as his teams were on it. Speaking of his sacking u-turn at Manzini Wanderers last year, he labelled it a "VAR decision." Vilakati was a strong character & would often clash with his bosses at the various clubs he coached. Clashes with opposition teams were almost always inevitable.

Speaking shortly after his Swallows side had beaten Royal Leopard 2-1 in the 2018 SMVAF Ingwenyama Cup final, Vilakati took a huge swipe at the Police said, saying, "I wonder if they really prepared for the match. I don't think they got the fixture in time." Of course Leopard were not pleased but this was Koki, always unleashed. 

Vilakati was never star struck and sometimes, to the frustration of supporters, he would nonchalantly bench his teams' star men if he felt they were not up to it. "When Felix is on the bench there are other players on the field doing the work. We don’t work on reputation. Badenhorst has to work his way back into the team," he said after a 2-0 League victory over Vovovo in November 2017, explaining his continued benching of returning talisman Felix Badenhorst.

A classic case of player management, that public demand for more from Badenhorst worked wonders. Badenhorst would soon pick up and by the turn of that year was a mainstay in the side, playing a crucial role as Swallows won a League and Cup double in 2017/18 while also reaching the group stages of the CAF Champions League, a first for a local side.

He didn't always get his tactical decisions right but most paid off. It is a testament of the knowledge of the man & his insatiable desire to win that he was always a target of the very big clubs. Wanderers, Swallows, Mbabane Highlanders, Green Mamba & Young Buffaloes all once or twice came for his signature.
 
He was a man for the big occasion & relished the big stage. One of his last big victories was a 2-1 victory with Wanderers over his former side Swallows in January 2019. The one victory he never quite secured was the Sihlangu job he so craved. But nothing, absolutely nothing will ever take away his contribution to local sport.
 
His loss is a huge blow but the legacy of Thabo 'Koki' Vilakati will live forever.

May your soul rest in peace, Coach!


By Sibongiseni Zondi

NB: Sibongiseni Zondi writes this piece in his personal capacity.