Sibusiso never thought he’d be a soccer coach; it just happened. Growing up without a mother, Sibusiso never went to school. His father was present, but he remarried a woman who never accepted Sibusiso.
In 2014, at a Boys2Men camp hosted by Isiseko Imara, Sibusiso gave his life to Christ. He realized he wanted to change the way he had been living, to live for purpose. He believed that God is greater than any circumstances.
Now a coach, Sibusiso wants to be a father figure for his players. In the rural areas of Durban, there’s limited access to clean water and limited access to jobs. In the homes, many children grow up without present fathers, raised by aunts and uncles. Children struggle to get the support they need; they don’t understand how to cope with their emotions.
As a coach, Sibusiso wants his boys to work hard, have good behavior, and love God. He also wants to support them in their school work and provide them with the resources they need to succeed: proper kits and school supplies. He also wants them to become leaders. His team consists of over 49 boys ages 17-20, and someday, when he steps down as coach, he hopes one of them will take his place.
“I want them to be better than me,” Sibusiso said.
Sphiwokuhe, 14, is the team’s captain. As captain, he feels like he is the second coach of the team; he sets the tone. The role has taught him many life skills, including time management and respect.
“What we do outside [the team] reflects what we do on the team,” Sphiwokuhe said.
Many of the young boys that Sphiwokuhe knows don’t play soccer; instead, they sit at home keeping to themselves. And some of them have jobs herding cattle– they don’t have the opportunity to be kids.
He lives with his mother, two uncles, and seven siblings. But out of the 10 people in his home, only two have jobs. After his father passed away, his uncles became the father figures in his household. He says that coach Sibusiso plays an advising role in his life, and he’s thankful for the friends he’s made on the team.
“We all have one mission,” Sibusiso said.
For now, his mission is to lead the team to win games and be respectful to the people in their community. Someday, he wants to play for the biggest teams on television.
Zandele is a mother of seven– six sons and one daughter. Out of all her sons, only two play on the team. More of her boys used to play, but one day they quit, and nobody knows why. As a mother, she’s worried for her boys because they refuse to work, and she knows she won’t be able to provide for them forever. Without jobs, she’s afraid they will get into trouble as many young men in her community do.
She’s grateful for Sibusio’s team and the opportunity for her boys to escape the hardships they face in their lives.