Mkandawire bounces back

Mbekezeli Ncube, Sports Reporter
FORMER Warriors and Amazulu defender David Mkandawire, who made headlines recently after he was spotted begging in the Kempton Park area, South Africa, has got himself back into the footballing world after securing a Caf D coaching Licence.

Mkandawire, who is also an ex-Maritzburg United and University of Pretoria Football Club employee was part of a group of 42 participants including Junaid Hartely, who had stints with Wits, Orlando Pirates and Ajax Cape Town and ex-Kaizer Chiefs’ defender Cyril Nzama, Ethiopian ace Fikru Tafera, former SuperSport United’s Japie Motale and Phumudzo Manenzhe, formerly with Pirates.

The course was run and funded by the South African Football Association (Safa) and the South African Football Players Union (SAFPU). SAFPU also paid Mkandawire.

In an interview, SAFPU president, Tebogo Monayi said it was heartbreaking to see a former footballer living in the streets so they had to do whatever it takes to remove him there.

“We wanted to help him out. To move from the streets, we then came up with an idea to take him to a coaching clinic as his wish was to be a football manager after his playing career,” said Monayi.

SAFPU had some talks with Coever International Coaching Programme (South African branch) who agreed to give him a job to coach in one of the schools in Johannesburg in order to kick start his career. The coaching course was conducted at German School in Pretoria, South Africa.