A well-known youth soccer coach, Mr Justice Mutileni, has returned with a certificate from the FIFA Talent Identification and Scouting course held at Prestige College in Hammanskraal.

The course, which took place from 19 to 25 September, was attended by national team coaches as well as selected individuals from other provinces. Mutileni, an accredited FIFA Youth Coach, received his licence after attending a course last year. He also holds a SAFA Level D Licence, a SAFA Level One coaching certificate, and a CAF Level A coaching certificate.

During his playing days, Mutileni was part of the then affiliate of the Solly’s League, Mashamba Forward Movers, for two seasons. He later joined the now-defunct Vodacom League side, Sister Park FC, in the mid-1990s.

Mutileni recalled a memorable moment when he was part of the U/20 team that represented Limpopo Province in the United Bank Tournament in Bloemfontein, where he competed against players such as Benni McCarthy, Matthew Booth, and Japie Motale.

After retiring from playing in 1999, Mutileni decided to pursue a career in coaching. His journey began when he successfully completed an introductory coaching course the following year. Upon completing the course, he was appointed head coach for the U/12 and U/14 teams by the Hlanganani Football Association.

He later accepted a coaching position with Maindis Ladies FC, where he stayed for three years. Between 2005 and 2014, Mutileni coached several teams, including Mukondeni Innocent Defenders, FC Basel, JM School of Excellence, the SAFA Vhembe U/17 squad, and the Limpopo SAB U/21 team.

He has also coached ABC Motsepe league teams such as Venda Football Academy FC, Madridtas FC, and The Dolphins FC, a team that qualified for the national promotional playoffs twice in a row under his guidance. Mutileni is currently the head coach of the Thohoyandou U/15 boys FNB Legacy team, which won the national championship last month in Gauteng.