WHO IS SIFISO PITSO DLADLA?

Sifiso Dladla was born in Tongaat on November 20, 1978 set up base in Newtown while he attended school in Hambanathi, the township that he also identifies with. He holds a CAF C Licence, plus Brazilian and Dutch qualifications, while his assistant coach Ronnie Gabriel has a CAF A Licence.

The Richards Bay coach worked as an administration clerk after acquiring a Public Management and Administration qualification from the Durban University of Technology and holds an Education qualification from UNISA which he has kept in his back pocket.

“I left teaching in 2018 because football then became a full-time job for me,” Dladla says. “Football wise, I watched Maritzburg City training sessions featuring Jimmy Tau in my late teens because they trained where I studied.

“I trained with the AmaZulu Under-19 team, but my studies were always the priority. I could have made it because I was good enough but I only played up to ABC Motsepe League with Tongaat Crusaders FC, which was then bought by Siyabonga Nomvethe when he formed Nomvethe FC.

“Tongaat was born out of Sobantu FC and after the owner Nduna Mhlongo sold the team, he left all equipment with me which pushed me into using it with Hambanathi Young Destroyers around 2003, which is where my coaching started. I was not influenced by anyone to get into coaching

“Playing wise I also had a stint with Real Connections in the local league, the team which produced Sithembiso Ngcobo and Philani Shange. I also had a stint with Maidstone FC as player/assistant coach in a team led by Ronnie Gabriel.

“It was after then that we were approached by the late Nicholas Mkhize when Uthongathi was formed as an SAB League club. We won the league unbeaten, then won promotion to the ABC Motsepe League, from where we were eventually promoted to the GladAfrica Championship.

“This then meant I had to choose between football and teaching, and I chose the former after we agreed on what I would be paid. I was assistant to Ronnie back then and we have always remained friends since a young age. “There was a fight at Uthongathi and we were released to Summerfield Dynamos until I was called back to assist Johnny Ferreira until I took over before the bio-bubble. “The following season I took over and brought in Papi Zothwane as assistant. I was tasked with saving the team from relegation until I left for Richards Bay, where I started off as assistant to Allan Freese,” explains Dladla.