Coach Mashele’s rise with Phalaborwa United

LIMPOPO – From kicking a ball on the dusty streets of Xikukwani village to leading Phalaborwa United into the ABC Motsepe League, coach Timmy Mashele’s journey is one of resilience, passion, and community support.

Mashele’s love for football began in his childhood at his grandparents’ home in Xikukwani, Giyani, where his uncle, the founder of Wilson Express FC in 1986, introduced him to the game.

Watching his uncle’s team progress inspired young Timmy to dream big. Soon, he was gathering his peers, buying footballs, and organising street matches.

“I realised my leadership skills through football,” Mashele recalls. With his uncle’s support, he even started a reserve team for Wilson Express FC at the age of 16, while also training with the senior team as a goalkeeper.

In 1998, under the guidance of the late coach David Oupa Zitha, Mashele was promoted to the Wilson Express FC senior team alongside Patrick Mabasa and Foster Chippa Mathebula.

This milestone marked the beginning of his coaching journey.

By 2003, he was already serving as both player and coach at Xikukwani Young Fighters FC. His first major head coach role came in 2007 at Xikukwani Madrid FC, a community side supported by former Giyani United leaders Mhani Mercy Ndhambhi and Zecks Mashimbyi.

Mashele’s breakthrough as a coach arrived in the 2016/17 season when he guided Wilson Express FC to the SAB League playoffs. Although the team did not secure promotion, it was the start of his rise. In 2020/21, he repeated the feat with Shivulani Dangerous Tigers FC but again fell short of breaking into the ABC Motsepe League.

His persistence, however, paid off. In the 2021/22 season, he led Giyani Happy Boys to a fourth-place finish in the ABC Motsepe League. The following season, they climbed to second place, cementing his reputation as a coach on the rise.

After his time with Giyani Happy Boys, Mashele joined Phalaborwa United, a club that was still competing in the lower leagues at the time. In the 2024/25 season, he guided them to the ABC Motsepe League.

Under his leadership, Phalaborwa United dominated the Mopani Hollywoodbets Regional League (Marula Stream), winning 29 matches, drawing just one, and playing 30 games. They scored an astonishing 137 goals while conceding only nine. Their dominance carried into the playoffs, where they swept through both the regional and provincial stages unbeaten to secure promotion.

Looking ahead, Mashele is determined to reach the top flight of South African football. But he remains deeply grateful to those who have supported him throughout his journey.

“I appreciate the support I get from the people in Xikukwani, Giyani and Malamulele. It’s scarce for someone to find such strong support from their village, but for me, it’s been different,” he said.

“I really appreciate everyone who believes in me and gives me their full support. I also thank my former mentor, Mr Gezani Mashaba, who has inspired me since primary school. He always told me, ‘If you believe in yourself, you can change our village through football.’ Those words kept me going.”