Abel Mabaso: "I want to better myself."

Tshepang Mailwane: It means bouncing back quickly after the weekend’s defeat which saw you being knocked out of the Nedbank Cup by Bidvest Wits…

Abel Mabaso: Yes, definitely. The focus is now on the next league match against Black Leopards. What happened on the weekend was painful, but we have to move and focus on the game that’s coming this weekend. That’s the most important thing. We have to walk with our heads held up high. We put in a great performance and showed a lot of character.

TM: Is it the type of character you’d like to see until the end of the season?

AM: Yes, definitely. That’s what’s important, to make sure that we win games. We want to focus on getting the best results possible.

TM: Abel, it’s been a good run for you with a good run of games under your belt since October last year…

AM: Yeah, I’m just grateful that I kept on believing in myself and I kept on pushing, you know. I always believed that my chance would come. I took it each game and that’s what I keep on doing. I always want to do my best for the team and I know that there’s room for improvement, based on the performances that I’ve had. I want to better myself and contribute more to the team going forward, you see.

TM: You did not play in the first 10 domestic games in all compe-titions this season, so what kept you believing that you would get your chance to play?

AM: My ability. Of course, my ability. I want to be here to contribute positively to the club going forward and that’s the most important thing for me. That’s what kept me believing, to use the talent that I was God-given. I had to express that, so I always believed that my chance would come. It was just a matter of time, so I just kept on working. That was the most important thing, you know. I kept on pushing myself. There’s a lot of quality in the team. Even now, (Mthokozisi) Dube can come in and you wouldn’t see the difference. That’s the healthy competition that we have. I am around quality players, so of course, I’m going to improve because I am around bet-ter and quality players. It’s like for like, so that’s what makes it easier. Whoever is playing at the time can do the job, which is the most important thing.

TM: In fact, you’ve missed just one game since making your first ap-pearance of the season on October 29 through suspension. How does it feel to be a regular in the team now?

AM: It’s a good space. And the good thing is that someone can come in and do the job for the team, because we always need to keep moving forward as a team. I am happy and I am happy for the team.

TM: How does it make you feel that you’ve played more games this season (13) than you did in the last campaign (four)?

AM: It feels good and I’m grateful for all the minutes I am getting this season. It feels good because it’s a sign of improvement from last season to now, which is a good thing moving forward for me. It’s about getting more minutes.

TM: You were signed by Pirates after impressing as a midfielder for Chippa United. So, when you were competing for a place in the team last season, was it as a midfielder or a right back?

AM: I’ve played like half of my career at right back and I can play in midfield as well. It was not a hard thing to make the transition from mid-field to right back, because I’ve played at right back many times before, so it’s not a difficult thing to make the tran-sition. I don’t make it a fuss, honestly speaking. The most important thing is that I am helping the team. That’s my prime importance. As long as that’s taken care of, then I am good. There were a few games (where) I played at right back – I remember there was one against Polokwane City – so it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that I am playing there. It should not be something specific to say I signed as a midfielder or as a right back. I’ve played both those positions in my ca-reer. I am a versatile player.

TM: What parts of your game do you want to improve on?

AM: There’s a lot of areas I want to improve on and that I’m still working on at the moment. It’s always work in progress as a footballer. There’s a lot of elements involved in the position I am playing in right now and there’s a lot of demands that are there for the position. Both defensively and offensively, there’s always got to be a balance. So, I’m just looking to improve in all aspects, both defensively and offensively. That’s what I am focus-ing on, to be an all-rounded balanced player and improve in all aspects of my game.

TM: What has coach Josef Zinnbauer changed in the dressing room and in the performances, as you are yet to lose a league game since he took over?

AM: With the results, it’s evident that there has been a change, but to be honest with you, we are not looking too far ahead. We need to focus on each game as it comes. Of course, he has a different way of looking at things in terms of football, so we just had to embrace his way of doing things and take it gradually. That’s the most important thing, for us to be open and embrace his way of doing things. That has helped us a lot.

TM: Is that why he has been able to hit the ground running, because some-times it takes coaches long to get some rhythm in the team from the word go?

AM: Yes, it’s a two-way thing because he has to embrace us as the players and we have to embrace him as the coach of the team. I think that way of doing things has helped us and has made the transition smooth. We’ve embraced him and he had to do the same. I think what has helped us is that we are focused on one thing at a time and one match at a time. That has helped us get to the position we are. We will continue in this direction.

TM: There’s a video of Zinnbauer dancing in the dressing. Would you say this is his way of getting himself acquainted with South African culture?

AM: I saw the video making rounds on social media. He’s quite a fun guy and he has a good sense of humour, so I think he was showing us that side of him and he was just showing us some German moves. That’s how he is, it’s his character. People are different and that’s his character. We’ve embraced him as a person. Even if you came in, we would embrace you as a person and who you are. It’s about being able to embrace each other as people. I think that’s the most important thing.

TM: Do you see an improvement in how the team is defending right now, compared to the first half of the season?

AM: Well, I think the most important thing is that we have won more games in the second half of the season, instead of drawing more games. That’s been the difference in the second half of the season, because we drew with goals. So, in the second half of the season, it’s been about turning  those draws into wins. That’s been the difference, that we are winning more games.

TM: But do you feel that there’s a need to keep more clean sheets, because you’ve only kept two in the league since Zinnbauer arrived?

AM: Yeah, but there’s a balance. At the end of the day, I don’t mind getting a 2-1 win rather than getting a goalless draw, you know what I’m saying? That’s how I look at it. We always emphasise the point of keeping clean sheets, but if it’s 0-0, did you win? No, it’s still a draw. Of course, we strive for more clean sheets in the games that we play, but at times I feel we should be  grateful  that  we  won 2-1. Take  the three points and go home, you know?

TM: Sure…

AM: Yes, we are definitely pushing to get more clean sheets so that we are also better off in terms of goal difference because we are conceding less. Both the attack and defence are needed. Defending is not just for defenders, nor is attacking for attackers. They need us and we also need them to help us defend. That’s the beauty of the sport. But, like I said, the most important thing is to get the win.

TM: How impressed are you that Pirates did not let the early setback of Milutin Sredojevic ruin your season?

AM: Yeah, it’s great work. It just tells you the great players we have in this squad  and  the  great  character they have. We are all focused on the job and task at hand. So, credit should go to  the players for the professionalism and the great attitude towards moving on after losing the coach so early in the season. It’s great character from the team, which is the most important thing.

TM:  Do  you  think  you  were  written off in the first half of the season, in terms of challenging for the title?

AM : To be honest with you, I don’t want to talk about the title. We are just focusing on one game at a time. The results will take care of themselves and we will see how it goes at the end of the season. But I don’t want us to talk about the title, let’s not get into that space. We want to focus on the games that come and not  worry about  anything else.

TM: You are on a run of nine league matches unbeaten. What’s been key to this?

AM:  We are focusing on each game, that’s just how it is. That’s what we going to keep on doing, to be honest. We are grateful for the performances and form we have been having as a team.

TM: Is this something that can continue until the end of the season?

AM: Yeah, man, like I said, we are taking it a game at a time. That’s what we are going to focus on.

TM: What has made the team so strong  at  home,  as  you  remain  unbeaten there up to now?

AM: Credit should go to the supporters, honestly speaking. They  create a nice atmosphere at the stadium and it makes  it  nice for us  to make Orlando Stadium a fortress. I think  that’s the driving force, that makes it difficult to beat us at  home, which is  nice that we’ve made an improvement and that we win at home. That’s important that we have a healthy record at home.

TM: Thanks for your time, Abel.

AM:  Thanks, my brother.