Tinkler: I had a negative opinion about Cape Town City captain Manyama

Cape Town City coach Eric Tinkler says that appointing Lebogang Manyama as his captain was the right choice because it unlocked his fantastic playing ability.

“I said at the beginning of the season, I’d always had a negative opinion of Lebo, watching him from the other side during his times at Ajax and SuperSport,” Tinkler told reporters.

“But once I joined the club, started training and got to know him and seeing his work ethic in training that whole opinion changed. You could see talent, when he was at SuperSport and Ajax, but I knew he needed to be challenged because of his ability. So, making him captain was the right choice, and I think he’s led by example,” Tinkler said.

The Alexandra-born attacker has been an immense figure for the club this season in their push for the title and he played a major role in helping them winning the Telkom Knockout Cup in December 2016. 

He currently leads the scoring charts and he's a key contender for the PSL Player of the Year accolade this season.

The Citizens coach also weighed in on his thoughts for the PSL Player of the Season contenders, admitting that Mamelodi Sundowns’s Percy Tau has been a marvel to watch.

“I think both of them have been fantastic. I think Tau has done a phenomenal job and is a huge talent at Mamelodi Sundowns, but I think overall, I’d probably give it to Ngoma. Aubrey in my opinion has had a fantastic season, with the amount of assists he has provided.

“But that’s taken nothing away from Lebo Manyama’s season, though Aubrey was consistently good throughout the season.” Tinkler said.