I can coach Orlando Pirates' strikers - Bashin Mahlangu

Former Orlando Pirates star player Albert 'Bashin' Mahlangu says he would consider taking up a coaching role at his former club but only if he's called up to sharpen the strikers. 

Mahlangu spent five years at Mayfair between 1990 and 1995, and he's known as a player who used to hit the ball hard during his playing days.  

"I can go and join Pirates but just to coach their strikers," Mahlangu said in an interview with Lesedi FM. 

Asked why former players in South Africa aren't getting enough coaching jobs, especially in the PSL, Mahlangu stated, "Football politics are what prevent former players to get involved. That's the biggest problem." 

Mahlangu made reference to the approach taken by some of the big European teams such as Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid who all hired their legends as managers in recent years.   

"If you can look in Europe, the so-called legends are coaching teams now but how many legends are coaching teams here?" he asked.  

"Frank Lampard is at Chelsea, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is at Manchester United and at Real Madrid, there is Zinedine Zidane," continued Mahlangu, who also played for Mamelodi Sundowns during his playing career.   

The retired midfielder further urged PSL club bosses to follow in the footsteps of Patrice Motsepe who gave a former Sundowns player in Pitso Mosimane the job to coach the team.

"If club chairmen can give former players a chance... just as Patrice Motsepe did with Pitso [Mosimane] then we are going to see a lot of improvements in our local football," added Mahlangu.

Mosimane is the most successful coach in the PSL era with 11 trophies to his name, and what's interesting is that he won all those trophies in just seven years with the Tshwane giants. 

Earlier this month, the Kagiso-born mentor won his fifth league title, surpassing the likes of Gavin Hunt, Gordon Igesund and the late Ted Dumitru who lifted the coveted trophy on four occasions.

He's still the only South African-born coach to win both the Caf Champions League and the Caf Super Cup. His continental success came in 2016 and 2017 respectively.