Makhubedu: It’s going to be gegenpressing all the way under Peter Hyballa this season

This is what Sekhukhune United assistant coach McDonald Makhubedu told SABC Sport when asked about what to expect football-wise from Hyballa this coming season. 

READ: Maritzburg United's future uncertain over stadium battle

Gegenpressing, another term for high-intensity counter-pressing, is a style mainly associated with the current Austria national team coach, Ralf Rangnick, whose team had a good showing at the recent Euros. Makhubedu says high intensity and gegenpress is what you should expect from them this season.

 ''When he made his presentation with me and other team members - that is what he showed us, his pressing is different to the one we know. I am also a high pressing coach, I like pressing football and I like to unsettle opponents. But the way he does things is different to the way we do things. He is a high intensity coach, he wants players to play at high intensity,'' said Makhubedu.

Gegenpress (German translation for counter-pressing) is a tactic in which a football team, after losing possession of the ball, immediately attempts to win it back rather than falling back to regroup.

 Other popular German coaches who are known to be proponents of a gegenpress are Thomas Tuchel, Jürgen Klopp, and Julian Nagelsman. But this is not your normal tactical approach and requires a lot of tactical discipline and urgency from your team to execute. The good thing is that Makhubedu says Babina Noko players are coping with the brand of football Hyballa is coming with.

 ''High intensity, typical German. He likes high intensity football, he focuses more on details, the level is just too high. The first thing when he arrived, they told him we will take the intensity high as much as we can, and the players love him and they understand him. The calibre of players we have this season, it is easy to coach them because most of them are high profile players. He is someone who wants to help and make sure that everyone grows, the style of play - he is coming with a high intensity. He has taken the game up there from the first whistle, he is a winner, he wants to win at all cost,'' added Makhubedu.

Makhubedu has not spent much time since Hyballa arrived in the country, as he was busy completing his CAF B License coaching Diploma. Speaking after his graduation last week, he thanked Hyballa for his kindness and support, describing the 48-year-old, as a very good man.

''Very good man, I told him when he arrived here I said Peter you have been in Africa in Namibia, fine, but there is one thing you need to do when you're in Africa, before being a coach you need to be a good human being. Africans are different, are different people from other continents and our club is based more on values and morals. Only to find out that he is a very good man, he is a friendly guy, always wants us to learn, he always tells me that coach you need to do as many courses as you can. I am  going for UEFA B and he is very happy for me,'' concluded Makhubedu.

Hyballa, a well-traveled coach and a son of a Dutch mother and a German father, has coached various youth teams in his home country in Germany, including Arminia Bielefeld, VFL Wolfsburg, and Borussia Dortmund’s junior teams. He’s also coached well-known Dutch sides NEC Nijmegen and NAC Breda having spent some time in Namibian in his early coaching stages, Makhubedu foresees a smooth transition for Hyballa in South Africa.