A medical doctor originally from KaNyamazane in Mpumalanga, Dr Thulani Ngwenya (36) continues to fly the local flag high after being appointed as the doping officer for the Fifa World Cup, which will be held in Qatar later this year.

Ngwenya is currently the chief medical officer for the South African Football Association (Safa).

He pursued an MBChB degree at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where after he branched into his first love, sports medicine, which he pursued at the University of Pretoria.

He was employed by Safa as a team doctor for one of the junior national teams. Not long after joining the association, he was thrust into the deep end and was promoted to the senior team, Bafana Bafana, under former coach Shakes Mashaba.

Ngwenya says he always had ambitions of making it to the big leagues but did not expect it to happen so soon.

“I have somehow always felt a deep sense that someday I would get to Fifa level, but I did not anticipate it happening so soon in my career. It is my greatest honour and privilege to be called to serve at the highest level.

“I know very well that it could have been any other person in my shoes. However, I do believe that this has been a divine appointment, predestined by the Creator.”

Ngwenya says Fifa contacted him via email to request an interview. He was told that the purpose was to recruit doping control officers (DCOs) for the Fifa database on the African continent.

“A proper interview was done, and I never considered it was anything more than a professional engagement. It was only when I received an email that I realised this was an appointment with the Fifa Doping Office for the 2022 Qatar World Cup,” he says.

At the World Cup, he will not be flying the South African flag solo. He will work alongside the likes of former Safa CEO Russell Paul who is now the COO of the Qatar Local Organising Committee, Lux September, who is in the CAF media department, and recently appointed duo of match officials, Victor Gomes and Zakhele Siwela.