Theo Hempe admitted that it is good to be back coaching in Cape Town after he confirmed that he will be calling the shots at the new Second Division franchise, FC Cafda. And he expects the newbies to ”hit the ground running!”
Our website reported last week that Hempe will be FC Cafda’s first new head coach after the club bought the ABC Motsepe League status of Batalions FC from Paarl.
Balla, as Hempe is affectionately known, is of course no stranger to Cape Football.
Apart from his professional playing days with Cape Town Spurs, Hempe also coached Milano United and won promotion with the Eezy My Kinnes in 2012.
He subsequently enjoyed (two) spells at Grassy Park as well as the now-defunct Steenberg United.
Since then he has been working with the Inter Africa Academy in Johannesburg helping with the development of young talent. Then Balla is also working with the young talent at Bergvliet High School where they are currently competing in the Kay Motsepe Cup Schools tournament.
“I enjoyed what I was doing and it is not like I missed coaching in Cape Town. I was asked on a few occasions to come coach in Cape Town but I just didn’t feel that I wanted to come back yet,” said Hempe.
Meanwhile, Hempe has been working round the clock to assemble his team for the upcoming season conducting trials in Muizenberg due to waterlogged pitches at the Cape District Football Association where they are based.
Hempe said he has a clear idea as to how he’ll be going about things to make the newbies a force to be reckoned with.
“I want to work with a lot of new players that are really hungry. I know the players that have been with me before that have played in the National First Division (NFD),” Hempe told our website.
“Cape Town doesn’t have a NFD team so there are lots of layers available. But I want to focus and work with a new bunch of players that are really hungry.
“Because the league will probably be divided into two streams it will be like a shotgun with the limited matches, So, I want players that are ready and actually coachable and don’t have to teach a lot of football intelligence.
“Players that are technically and tactically ready. I would not say it is a whole different approach, especially with the players that I am taking on board.
“Obviously they (Cafda) do have players there that are experienced in the Motsepe League that I know very well – it is probably just a handful of about 10 to 12 players at most. So, we are looking at getting 13 to 14 players on board that are ready to start immediately.
“I don’t think there is going to be time with a few games (due to the two streams). I want players that will hit the ground running and can immediately put into practice my ideas and expectations and that is important to me.
