Talk about being swept off his feet and pleasantly surprised, Diadora FC’s head coach Zain Abrahams revealed he was completely overwhelmed with being voted as Safa Cape Town’s Coach of the Year for 2025 at the Mayoral Banquet Hall in the Civic Centre on Saturday.
Abrahams guided Diadora to the Third Division league title and took it one step further – winning promotion to the ABC Motsepe League within his first season at the club.
“Look, for me as a coach, it was a good feeling just to have received an invitation and to go there as a nominee,” Abrahams revealed to No Bones with Jones. “And I told my chairman that for me it was good enough as I never went there with a mindset of winning it, you know.”
Abrahams further elaborated: “So, for me, receiving a nomination was good enough, honestly. I did not expect to win as there were some fantastic coaches around. But my chairman (Shaheed Abrahams) always believed that I could win despite the tough nominations I was up against.
“But for me as a coach it was never about individual awards or money but rather developing and sharing my knowledge and information with the players and to make them better or to go to a higher level – that is what always drives me as a coach,” Abrahams added.
Abrahams, a former Santos pro player, says his achievement belongs to everyone associated with the club as he could not have done it without his technical team and, of course, the players.
“As much as this is an individual award, this belongs to everyone at the Diadora club,” Abrahams further added.
“There is a family bond that exists, which is built on respect and trust. No amount of money or achievements can equate to that, you know. And if it were not for them and my chairman giving me the opportunity, then this would not be possible.
“It goes back to what we created and the bond we have. The understanding and the culture we created at the club. So, how can I claim this is all down to my work? It was really a good feeling, and I was happy that at least the hard work we did over the season was being acknowledged and rewarded. For many, it is an individual award, but for me it is a team and collective effort from each player and member at the club,” Abrahams concluded.
