In this week's edition of Secret Footballer, a former Mamelodi Sundowns star reveals that for all his success at the Chloorkop-based club, it was actually the players who made Paul Dolezar look good.
The secret footballer reveals how ex-Kaizer Chiefs coach Paul Dolezar rode on players' success even though it had nothing to do with him.
"Dolezar came to Sundowns with this big reputation of being a very good coach, so to protect the club's management from being a laughing stock for hiring him, we had to win games for the Frenchman," he tells KickOff.
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"During the Dolezar era, as players, we had our secrets. We would have breakfast and [then] go to the boardroom. He would then announce his line-up and tell us we were playing 4-4-2.
"But once we were on the field, we changed all that and played 3-5-2. This is something only we as Sundowns players knew, and what we were doing indirectly helped him because we were winning games.
"The formation he used at Kaizer Chiefs did not suit us. We made him look good. People thought it was all his ideas," adds the ex-player.
The secret footballer goes on to say such 'shenanigans' - for want of a better word - are still prevalent at PSL clubs to this day.
"Players don't follow coach's tactics, but because those coaches don't want to fix it if it is not broken, they decide to keep quiet and ride on the glory.
"But the majority of the current players do follow the coach's instructions to the core, hence they can't express their talent or win matches. Today's coaches are too strict.
"The media and the supporters gave Dolezar all the credit, not knowing we were coaching ourselves.
"He would jump up and down the touchline and that would look good on television. It looked like we were doing what he told us.
"You can ask any former Sundowns player who played for the club under Paul Dolezar, they will tell you about the man.
"Every time he shouted on the touchline, we ignored him. The team is winning and he is getting the accolades, so why the worry?"
As a parting shot, our guest leaves the current crop of players with some food for thought having delivered explosive revelations about Dolezar's tenure at The Brazilians.
"As players, think for yourselves, you can't be remote-controlled."
Dolezar was a larger-than-life, edgy character who enjoyed some success at Kaizer Chiefs and became a hit with the club's fans having joined them in 1997. He won them the Rothmans Cup the year he came in as well as in the following year, before Sundowns came calling in 1999.
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The Frenchman stayed on at The Brazilians until 2001, winning the Rothmans Cup and the league title.
He then left for Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, only to return to Chloorkop in 2004.
Dolezar's other clubs coached in South Africa include Bloemfontein Celtic, Black Leopards and Mpumalanga Black Aces.