Blind coach has a dream

The blind coach of Silver Spears who recently made history by thumping the teams of his sighted colleagues to lift the Maimane Alfred Phiri Games trophy has a dream.

Dumisani Ntombela’s dream is to take his senior boys team to the Premier Soccer League to play alongside giants such as Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns.

For his girls team, he dreams of getting them promoted to the elite Sasol Women’s League for next season, a feat Ntombela believes is not a pipe dream as his team has mathematically won the Ekurhuleni Women’s League, which is a precursor of the Sasol League.

In the Ekurhuleni league, Ntombela’s girls have one match to be crowned champions of the league before heading for promotional play-offs for the Sasol League which will be held a month or so later.

After playing 17 games, Spears lead their nearest rivals in the Ekurhuleni league by five points. Unbeaten in 17 games which do not include any draws, Ntombela’s team has one game left which will only be a formality as a win or loss will still leave them as champions.

“We desperately need a sponsor for the future, especially as we head for the play-offs where teams have to go into camp for several days and weeks, and the associated costs are way beyond my resources,” Ntombela said.

Asked how he reads the game to enable him to make impactful substitutions, Ntombela said as a blind person he tended to sense what was happening on the field and his tactical substitutions often just worked for him.

“In the Map Games for instance, I sensed that one player was a bit too slow and I needed someone with pace to add to the firepower, and it worked for me as I got an equalising goal soon afterwards from that very substitute.

“I cannot tell you either how I do it, but I want to believe there is also God’s hand at play in this whole coaching thing of my career,” he said.

Details: Dumisani Ntombela 072 630 2813.