THE late Cecil “Pele” Ngombane, of Ngangelizwe Township in Mthatha, who recently died at the age of 68, has been showered with praise by those who knew and grew up with him for his unrivalled legacy of developing and nurturing footballers in the township.
His younger brother, Hlubi, said his late brother was nicknamed after the Brazilian football great, Pele, for his amazing football skills while playing for Ngangelizwe’s Tembu Royals Football Club, a team he was involved with from the tender age of 14 until his passing.
“My late brother was very passionate about soccer, which got him the name, ‘Pele’ for his dazzling football skills, back in the day, while playing for Thembu Royals.
“He loved the sport until his very last day and despite his advanced age, he was still actively involved in soccer as a coach of Thembu Royals FC at the time of his passing,” said Hlubi.
Ngangelizwe Township senior elder, Dr Zola Mbanguta, described the late Ngombane as the longest serving, the most humble and most loyal servant of football in the township.
“For his entire life, upon graduating from the Ngangelizwe Street Soccer Challenge (SSC), he played for one soccer team only, Tembu Royals FC, from the team’s under 14 to senior team and went on to become the senior team coach and manager until the very last day of his life,” wrote Mbanguta.
He further credited Ngombane, his mother and the Piliso family with being very influential in the development of SSC games in Ngangelizwe Township in the 1970s.
“In the implementation of SSC games, Ngangelizwe streets were grouped together into five football clubs, namely Morning Stars, Amazulu, Manchester United, Boiling Waters and Four Aces. The implementation of games became a nightmare in the Back and Dumasi sections of the township because of the bloody killings which were occurring daily in these areas,” recalled Mbanguta.
The SSC games, according to Mbanguta, also played a role in ending gangsterism and murders in the township, as two rival gangs, Ama26 of Back section and Ama28 of Dumasi section, later formed two football teams that participated in the SSC games with the former becoming Umtata City Rovers and the latter becoming Naughty Boys.
“The wind of political transition in the country blew when all exiled and imprisoned political party leaders and their organisations were freed in 1990.
“Massive disruptions in football occurred and Pele hung on to Tembu Royals and brought permanent stability to Ngangelizwe football until new South African Football Association (SAFA) local, regional, and provincial structures were put in place.
“All Ngangelizwe and Mthatha football teams disappeared, but Tembu Royals remained, and it still remains because of one man, Cecil ‘Pele’ Ngombane, the longest serving and most humble of all,” Mbanguta concluded.
Ngombane died on April 21 and was laid to rest at Old Payne in Mthatha on May 1.
