How Orlando Pirates 'stole' Papic from Manning Rangers

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Former Orlando Pirates coach Kostadin Papic has revealed he was actually on his way to Manning Rangers when he first arrived in South Africa.

Papic joined Pirates in 2004 as a relatively unknown coach from Serbia. At the time, he was coaching in Nigeria.

In an interview with Karabo Phasha on Bogartman Radio, Papic recalled how both Pirates and Rangers cars waited for him at the airport.

According to Papic, former Pirates administrator and the late Phil Setshedi took him under the nose of Rangers officials.

At the time, both sets of officials were arguing when Setshedi whiskered Papic away and booked him into a hotel.

Mind you, Rangers made all the efforts to secure Papic’s services, and even bought him a plane ticket but Pirates ‘won the race’.

Papic would go on to turning Pirates into one of the exciting teams in the PSL during his two-year stay with them.

Perhaps the unfortunate part is that Pirates played exciting football but never won a trophy with Papic in charge.

The Buccaneers twice finished as the league runners-up, and Papic subsequently resigned as head coach.

HOW ORLANDO PIRATES ‘HIJACKED’ PAPIC’S RANGERS MOVE

“This is the first time I am talking about this. My friends know but in public, this is the first time,” said Papic.

“I don’t know if it’s the truth or not but friends sent my CV to Manning Ranger, and in Nigeria, I’m watching the match between Pirates and Manning Rangers in Durban.

“And I was sitting with my assistant, and I said, ‘listen to me, look at this football, if I go there to that country, I will turn football upside down, I will win everything. I’m going to beat everyone’,” he continued.

“‘With this kind of football, and my style? we’re going to be beat everyone’.

“Three weeks later, an invitation comes from Manning Rangers. I left the club, went back to Serbia to pack my things, and I said, ‘I’m ready’.

He also coached Black Leopards, Kaizer Chiefs and Polokwane City. Image: Archive

“I went to the South African Embassy to take my visa. Manning Rangers? Done! And then my friend from South Africa said, ‘what kind of Manning Rangers? You are not coming to Manning Rangers. Come and give me your CV, I will get you to Pirates’.

“And I said, ‘wait a minute, I have an invitation letter already and I don’t know where I am going and where to buy tickets’, and he said, ‘no, give me a day or two’.

“The Manning Rangers guy came and bought me the plane ticket, then I arrive but the Pirates car is there. I knew the rumour about Pirates wanting me but they had not sent an invitation or ticket.

“But I saw their car, and that side there’s a Manning Rangers car waiting for me,” added Papic.

“There was a car there, and another on the other side. Phil Setshedi then comes with his dead car, put me in the car and dropped me in a hotel, and said, ‘shush, nobody must know’.”

“The guy from Manning Rangers saw what had just happened, and he started the car and left. I was confused and scared that this was all fake.”