Daine Klate and Moeneeb Josephs Bringing Championship Mentality to NB La Masia

• Daine Klate is the head coach of Motsepe Foundation Championship team, NB La Masia
• Moeneeb Josephs serves as part of the technical team as well as a mentor to the young players
• The Orlando Pirates, Wits University and Bafana Bafana pair have a crucial four months ahead

Role models are invaluable facilitators of growth and development.

Motsepe Foundation Championship club, NB La Masia, are led from the bench by two cult heroes who have a combined 700 Premier Soccer League caps and almost 40 appearances for their national team.

Together, they were part of Orlando Pirates' treble-winning team of 2011 and their trophy-laden careers are ingrained with a winning mentality.

Daine Klate arrived at NB La Masia in October, joining his long-time teammate, Moeneeb Josephs who joined in August.

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Their affable demeanours belie their serious approach to football, which their new club hopes will propel them to unprecedented heights.

Klate took the team to Megawatt Park for a mid-season friendly with SuperSport United on February 1. The fledgling coach is tasked with getting NB La Masia up the second-tier log and possibly even pushing for promotion.

The team showed plenty of rust as Matsatsantsa ran out comfortable winners but the result was not Klate's chief concern. Speaking to Sports Brief about their progress, Klate said:

"I think the break was needed. It has given us some time to work on certain elements and identify certain things. Other than that, there are a lot of positive signs. It's all about the mental state and we know it takes hard work."

The five-time PSL winner was encouraged by their performance against SuperSport, stressing that the difference was that the PSL team worked harder. He elaborated:

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"I understand we were tired, I have really been loading them, but it's about the mental side of it to say, 'Can you push yourself even when you are tired'? I know we will get there as I know what they are capable of.

In Josephs, the club has a crafty operator who has seen every obstacle a South African football can be faced with. Showing what that experience brings to this youthful squad, 'Slimkat' added:

"We can see what path they are trying to take or how they are trying to play and we can correct that before they even know they might be doing something wrong."

On the horizon is a dream Nedbank Cup tie against Mamelodi Sundowns. A positive result will be massive for the club but Klate is urging the team to enjoy the experience. He said:

"The community is obviously excited for that match. These players aspire to play at that level so it is an opportunity for them to see how far they are in terms of reaching their goals. It's my duty to encourage them, motivate them and prepare them."

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NB La Masia CEO, Rashid Toffie, stated that the club are implementing a focused project, implying a patience that could see the former champions build something special.

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NB La Masia have been drawn against Mamelodi Sundowns in the Nedbank Cup and are well-placed in the league.

The club sits 10th in the Motsepe Foundation Championship and are just eight points off league leaders, Orbit College.