Mophela Primary School Coach Siyabonga Ndimande is ready for the big challenge ahead

 

When Mophela Primary School make their first appearance on the world stage at the Danone Nations Cup World Finals in New York city next month, on the side line, guiding them, will be their coach, Siyabonga Ndimande.

It was Ndimande and his colleague Spha Shabalala who guided Mophela, a rural school from a small village in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands, to the South African title in the competition, which led to their big chance.

Ndimande and Shabalala started St Bay Football Club in Mophela in 2014 and have grown it to 90 players, between 11 and 19 years old and most of the Mophela Primary School players are members.

Ndimande’s passions are soccer and youth development and his roots are in the village. The 29 year-old was born and raised in Mophela and lives there with his mother Fikile and brothers Dumisani and Mlekeli. He went to Mophela Primary School himself and did Matric at Gabigabi High School.

He started playing soccer when he was in primary school and in high school he played for Mophela United Brothers Football Club in the SAB league.

After Matric he worked for Valley Fresh, an organisation that supplies fruit and vegetables for the Lily of the Valley children’s home in Mophela. It was there that he began coaching and where he discovered his passion for coaching and for young people.

So he opened his club and decided to pursue his passion for coaching.

On a soccer workshop in Pietermaziburg he met Thabang Dladla, who is currently coaching the University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg team, and,  Roger Sikhakhane who coaches Chippa United Football Club in the PSL league. They are coaches who he looks up too, whose style and techniques he admires.

At the Danone Nations Cup World Finals Ndimande hopes aim to gain more exposure to coaching techniques, especially since there will be teams from different countries and they have different styles of soccer.  He wants his team to enjoy the experience of being a part of one of the biggest soccer development tournament in the world. 

“Doing well at the DNC World Finals would amazing,” he said. “It will give me the experience I need to open my own development club in the future. Developing the players at a young age is the most important phase because they can absorb a lot of information and they are easier to instruct.”

He has a great relationship with his players: they treat him like an older brother and come to him for advice whether its school or home-related.

“I try to let them know, however, that when it comes to training there are no excuses and I also see it as my responsibility to make sure that they do well in their school work.