Moulding ‘excellence’ on his football field
Hendrick Mukwevo established the Limpopo School of Excellence Football Academy in 2001, registering this as a non-profit organisation under the Department of Social Development.
POLOKWANE – Mukwevo is a soccer coach who hails from the Tshakhuma Village in Venda near the small town of Levubu.
His modest start as a coach has afforded him the opportunity to be a feeder for talented young and upcoming footballers into the South African Premiership League.
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The academy receives an undisclosed amount of money from the national lottery in order to aid in its sustainability.
His story dates back to 1998, when he coached the Blue Birds u/14 team in Tshakhuma. This team then proceeded in winning a Transnet tournament in 2004. It was in the very same year that he entered an u/15 team for the u/15 Premier Cup tournament which led to them returning home with a silver medal.
“This is when I started to realise my potential as a coach. That is why I decided to establish a football academy after getting employed in Polokwane. Although based in Polokwane, we serve the whole of Limpopo and even provinces like Mpumalanga,” Mukwevo added.
Under his guidance, he has managed to produce five PSL players for among others Mamelodi Sundowns, SuperSport United, Polokwane City, Jomo Cosmos and Platinum Stars.
Players from his academy have also went on to play for the First Division League team the Black Leopards and the Tshakhuma Tsha Madzihandila (TTM) Football Club.
Mukwevo is currently an assistant teacher in natural and life sciences and is also the coach at Northern Academy College.
He has achieved a multitude of accolades with the school’s team and its players.
“I started teaching at Meridian College in 2001 where I gained a lot of experience. I went away on a soccer tournament in 2012and on my return transferred to Northern Academy where I still teach today.
“I love education, but my true passion is in coaching football. I am proud to say that along with the assistance from my coaches at our football academy, we have produced many players for national established football clubs. My ambition for the future is to coach the national u/17 soccer team and perhaps one day, get the opportunity to be an assistant coach for Bafana Bafana. My dream would actually be to one day become the head coach of Kaizer Chiefs,” he explained.
Although he has had many successful moments, some of his biggest challenges include having to share facilities with a number of other football establishments.
This means that his team has a limited amount of time in which they can train and places more pressure on him to ensure that they are on par within that limited amount of time. The academy currently utilises the Polokwane Rugby Fields.
“As a coach and mentor I believe I am of great service to both the school and the community. I believe through my coaching of these young boys helps them to get their minds of the bad influences in life such as drugs.
“When children’s minds are involved with elements such as sport participation, then there is no time to meet the wrong friends and their minds are being occupied through sport,” he concluded.
