LIMPOPO – Renowned youth soccer coach Justice Mutileni recently returned with a certificate from the prestigious Fifa Talent Identification and Scouting course, held at Prestige College in Hammanskraal from September 19 to 25. The course was attended by national team coaches and a select few coaches from various provinces.
In addition to his latest achievement, Mutileni holds multiple coaching qualifications. He is an accredited Fifa Youth Coach, having earned his qualification last year. His credentials also include a Safa D license, a Safa level one coaching certificate, a Caf A license and an Ajax Cape Town coaching certificate.
Mutileni’s roots in football run deep. During the mid-1990s, he played for Mashamba Forward Movers in the Solly’s League before joining Sister Park FC in the now-defunct Vodacom League. He currently serves as a technical advisor for Munaca FC, an ABC Motsepe League team.
A career-defining moment for Mutileni was participating in the u/20 Limpopo team at the United Bank Tournament in Bloemfontein, where he competed alongside legends Benni McCarthy, Matthew Booth and Japie Motale. After retiring from playing in 1999, Mutileni shifted his focus to coaching, completing his first introductory coaching course in 2000. The Hlanganani Football Association soon appointed him head coach for their u/12 and u/14 teams.
Mutileni’s coaching career includes a three-year stint with Maindis Ladies FC and roles with various teams, such as Mukondeni Innocent Defenders, FC Basel, and JM School of Excellence. He has also coached the Safa Vhembe u/17 team and the Limpopo SAB u/21 squad.
His leadership has left a lasting mark on the ABC Motsepe League, where he guided teams like Venda Football Academy FC, Madridtas FC and The Dolphins FC. Under his management, Dolphins qualified twice for the national promotional playoffs. Most recently, he led Thohoyandou’s u/15 FNB Legacy team to victory in the national championships held in Gauteng last month.
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