Pastor FC boasts young and energetic team players

Pastor Football Club was founded in 2012 by 26-year-old Sibonelo ‘Pastor’ Mtshali with the sole purpose of protecting young boys from drugs, gangsterism and other immoral activities.

Since the inception of the club, most of the young boys from Lawley have fallen in love with football, which resulted in young girls also showing an interest in playing.

The name

Pastor FC used to be called The Power of God FC, but the residents of Lawley preferred naming the club Pastor FC and it eventually changed to that name.

According to the club owner, the name symbolises leadership and serving.

“Players are always encouraged to live their lives according to the name of the club on and off the field.
“If we as a club don’t respect and live our lives according to its name than we won’t be able to impact the lives of young people in our area,’’ said Mtshali.

Divisions and challenges

The club has divisions for u-7, u-15, u-19 and a senior team with a total of 25 players.

Both the u-17 and u-19 make up the senior team as they are matured and ready to compete with older teams.
The club expressed that training sessions are hard to manage as the training field is cramped due to many clubs using one field.

“In townships, that’s a problem. We only have a few fields and in that case, one can’t do much. Football is not only about kicking and running but teaching, more especially in terms of space. “As a club, however, we are engaging with various stakeholders for more fields which will not only accommodate football but also other sports as well,” said Mtshali.

Another challenge is away games, as some players are from less privileged families and cannot afford to pay for transport.

“I end up paying for the transport just to keep the players happy because away games help in building the team,” added Mtshali.

Matches

The club is one of the dominant clubs in the area and has a rich history of winning local tournaments.

“We are referred to as the Mamelodi Sundowns of Lawley. We have the same type of jersey as them,” said Mtshali.

The club will be competing in the eastern league for this season with the aim of winning every division.
The club is on 15 home and away matches.

“I believe we can maintain that until the end of the year since we are strong teams. But, due to the pandemic we have halted playing tournaments,” said Mtshali.

Vision and mission

In the next five years, the club sees itself in the Premier Soccer League. The club is also on a mission of buying the status of ABC Motsepe League.

“This dream will be achieved because a plan is in place. Just a few things need to be finalised and in the next couple of months, the club will be in the top-flight,” concludes Mtshali.