Times Of Swaziland: ‘KOKI’ GETS EMOTIONAL, WEEPS

‘KOKI’ GETS EMOTIONAL, WEEPS
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BY CHRIS DLAMINI on 21/05/2017 00:37:00


MBABANE – Being a Mbabane Highlanders person generally means you cannot just
find yourself working for Mbabane Swallows and get accepted in no time.
For coach Thabo ‘Koki’ Vilakati, it has taken two successful years to feel
at home in the red and white giants and all thanks to the club’s deceased
acting CEO Sibusiso Manana and of course the Chairman Victor ‘Maradona’
Gamedze, who kept his faith in him when pulling the trigger looked easier at
some point last season.
Relating his story in the morning, Vilakati only uttered less than six words and
started to lose it and when he tried to continue, lost it completely and broke
into tears. As he clearly could not speak out, Royal Leopard PRO Frank Hurube
and Swallows General Manager Sandile ‘Beyond 2000’ Zwane came to comfort
him.
He took his time, held his breath and then continued.
“I have two years at Swallows but Manana taught me so much. He was the person
who would call me to order whenever anything had not gone right and even remind
of who he was to me.
“Coming from a rival team I didn’t expect it to be like this here but I have
been warmly accepted and it’s all his work,” Vilakati said with signs of
tears still filling his eyes.
He said he and the players would always miss Manana for all his courage and
dedication to get things done for the progress of Swallows. Team captain Tony
‘TT’ Tsabedze, who spoke for the players, said they ‘lost a father’.