No obstacle is insurmountable when chasing a destiny well beyond young years.
While the players get the bulk of the attention in front of the cameras, it is often the men in the background pulling the strings that deserve the credit. Deciding he was not meant for the spaces between lines and that instead the dugout was his home, Kingsley Lingani has set his sights on coaching stardom. With those around him recognising his potential, he is off to Germany for a taste of a true football factory.
The 15-year-old Lambano Academy learner had playing stints at Roodepoort Sports Academy and Prestige Football Development Academy before calling it quits. Rejections and disappointments, including a last-minute exclusion from a trip to play in Sweden, left him despondent. He then decided to channel all his energy into coaching, even ambitiously attempting to start his own club.
Fearlessly, Kingsley went to all the major clubs offering his services but was turned away without second thought, jokingly saying, “Chiefs didn’t even let me in the gates”. Now at Panorama Football Club, Kingsley is being nurtured and guided by the club’s sophisticated management structures. Panorama Technical Director, Roman Schröder, will be operating under their Jozi Talent Sports Management as they take a trip to Germany with Kingsley in tow.
“Ultimately, the fact he is so young sets up a massive opportunity in the sense of development. We will be exposing him to the different coaching styles, the professionalism and insight of what is out there. It is an opportunity for him to learn and to gain the insights that come with that, such as organisation, tactics and technical exercises. It is an awesome opportunity for a young guy. Hopefully it is not his only trip and who knows what it might lead to in a couple of years,” said Roman.
Now at the beginning of his second season at the club, Kingsley is excited at the growth path ahead of him. “Pana has played a big role. They gave me a chance to be brave. They gave me a chance to shadow senior coaches so that I could learn. They teach everyone to be respectful of each other, no matter how old you are,” said Kingsley, who is in charge of taking videos of matches and planning drills as the assistant to the U/13 head coach.
Deeply invested in his players on and off the pitch, his aim is to make them love football. “As a coach, you are playing with a young person’s dream. I sit with the players after the games to make sure nobody leaves here unhappy. The players must know that ‘I’ve got you, I’ve got your time’,” he said. Wise beyond his years, Kingsley beamed, “Before I sleep I have that vision and I want to give that vision to others”.
