Thinasonke Mbuli
 Mbuli in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Thinasonke Phakamile Jessica Mbuli | ||
| Date of birth | 18 May | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | University of the Western Cape (head coach) | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| 2019- | University of the Western Cape | ||
Medal record | |||
Thinasonke Phakamile Jessica Mbuli is South African professional soccer manager and current head coach of SAFA Women's League side University of the Western Cape and the assistant coach of the South Africa women's national soccer team.[1][2]
Mbuli become the first female South African coach, second overall, to qualify for the CAF Women's Champions League after winning the 2024 COSAFA Women's Champions League.[3] She was nominated for the CAF Women's Coach of the Year award in 2024.[4]
Coaching career
[edit]In September 2017, Mbuli was appointed assistant coach of the South Africa women's national soccer team.[5] She was part of the technical team when they won their maiden continental title at the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations and were runner's up at the 2018 Women's Africa Cup of Nations.[6] She was also part of the technical team when they won their first FIFA Women's World Cup match and qualified for their first ever knockout round in 2023.[7]
University of the Western Cape
[edit]In 2019, she was appointed head coach of the University of the Western Cape.[8] She led the team to runners-up position at the Women's Varsity Football with her team losing out to six time consecutive winners TUT Ladies.[9]
In 2021, she led the team to their maiden Women's Varsity Football title. [10]
In 2023, she was named the SAFA Women's League coach of the season[11] Her team also won the 2023 Women's Varsity Football.
In 2024, she defended the Women's Varsity Football title by winning the 2024 Women's Varsity Football tournament. Her team were the first university to qualify for the COSAFA Women's Champions League due to finishing second in the 2023 SAFA Women's League.[12] She won the 2024 COSAFA Women's Champions League with 3 wins, 1 draw (the final) and a single loss.[3] This made her the second South African coach, and first female coach, after Jerry Tshabalala to qualify for the CAF Women's Champions League.[13]
Honours
[edit]Manager
South Africa (assistant coach)
- Women's Africa Cup of Nations: 2022, runners-up: 2018
Individual
- 2023 SAFA Women's League: Coach of the Season
References
[edit]- ^ "[LOOK] A chance at history: UWC's Thinasonke Mbuli excited to help prepare Banyana Banyana for World Cup glory". www.dailyvoice.co.za. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ Kganyago, Lethabo (26 August 2024). "UWC Quartet In CAF WCL COSAFA Qualifiers Best Team". iDiski Times. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Banyana Banyana assistant makes history, takes UWC to CAF CL joining Sundowns". www.afrik-foot.com. 25 August 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ webportal@uwc.ac.za. "UWC's Women's Football Team Shines with Two Shortlisted for CAF Award". www.uwc.ac.za. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ "Banyana rely on Mbuli's to get talent". SowetanLIVE. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ Vardien, Tashreeq. "Champions of Africa! Banyana make history to win SA's first-ever Women's Afcon". Sport. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
- ^ Butler, Compiled by Lynn. "SA celebrates Banyana heroes after historic World Cup win: 'We've done it!'". Sport. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
- ^ office, UWC media (26 August 2019). "UWC Team Kicks Off National League". gsport4girls. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ koosventer (30 September 2019). "TUT win sixth straight Varsity Women's Football title". Rekord. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Crouch, Faheedah (7 October 2021). "UWC Eager to Build on Varsity Football Title Victory". gsport4girls. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Kganyago, Lethabo (9 December 2023). "Hollywoodbets League Season Awards Winners Announced". iDiski Times. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
- ^ "UWC coach braces for tough Cosafa exams". SuperSport. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
- ^ "This achievement proves the high standard of women's football in SA: Thinasonke Mbuli | soccer". SABC. 25 August 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
SAFA Women's League Coach of the Season | |
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