MCDONALD Mabongo spends most of his time in football development and as a football administrator in the Nelson Mandela Bay region.
Currently, Mabongo is a teacher at Dumani Primary School in Motherwell NU 3, under the leadership of principal, Simphiwe Mkhangelwa.
Mabongo told PE Express that he started to get more involved with school football, in particular as a coach, in 2014, after Mkhangelwa recruited him.
During the June 2015 school holidays, Mabongo achieved his CAF D Licence for football coaching. He was then elected as a SAFA Schools Football chairperson for the Motherwell zone in 2015.
As the Motherwell zone chairperson, he was a link between his zone and the Motherwell Football Association (MOFA).
Mabongo said, “Our executive committee for schools’ football is the backbone structure that runs all the schools’ leagues and tournaments. Members like Vusumzi Oyo, Vusumzi Mbanga, Nosipho Njuba, Bhele Nyewe and others shape up things with regard to schools’ football. We run the U/11, U/13, U/15 and U/17 school leagues and tournaments for boys and girls. Firstly, things were not easy at all but we soldiered on until things became the way they should be. I involved all the school principals and this resulted in almost 95% of schools participating.”
In his tenure, Mabongo managed to run tournaments like the SPUR Masidlale for U/13 boys and girls and the Vodacom Schools tournament for U/13 and U/17 for the boys and girls. He revealed that almost all schools had participated during the tournaments.
He said that his school’s U/13 boys’ team and Elufefeni Primary School girls’ U/13, under coach, Liziwe Kate, won the Vodacom Schools tournament in 2016.
“In 2019, we introduced a tournament for U/15 boys which was a success, and in the same year, we ran a high schools-only tournament, in partnership, with Dibalam Services and the sponsors were Zonke SuperSPAR.
“The football winners in its inaugural season were Douglas Mbopa High School. Kay Motsepe is another well-known annual U/19 football tournament in Motherwell.”
“In 2019, schools’ U/13 teams played against local teams, with Empumalanga Primary School claiming the silverware.
Mabongo was also selected as a team manager for the U/17 boys’ team that participated in the national winter games in Johannesburg in 2016. He was elected as a chairperson for Nelson Mandela Bay region.
In 2020, Mabongo, and Vulumzi High School educator, Peter Nomatyenge, were the coaches of the Motherwell U/15 girls’ team that won the Women’s COSAFA Cup at Nelson Mandela Stadium, beating NODEFA 1-0 in the finals.”
He also added that he served on the Motherwell Athletics executive committee.
“My aim and wish are to develop my community by providing opportunities to our learners. When I am not busy with my school football administrative work, I enjoy myself in golf with my friends like Alistair Stallenberg and Jody Manuel. During weekends, I do pastoral work for Jesus Christ Empowerment Centre, under Bishop Bonga Xhalabile and his wife,” he concluded.
