Cape Town City youth coach Mark Mayambela recently linked up with an Ajax Amsterdam legend Stanley Menzo, a man he has credited with being his inspiration for becoming a manager. Here's a look.
The story
The ex-Orlando Pirates star met up with his idol in Cape Town and received a Beijing Guoan jersey, the Chinese topflight club managed by Menzo.
"This is the man that made me fall in love with coaching, and a big inspiration to me. Great conversation I had with him today and the highlight part of the conversation was 'Learn from your mistakes as a coach and human being'," Mayambela wrote on Instagram.
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The ex-Bloemfontein Celtic attacker retired in early 2022 after failing to secure a new club after his last team Cape Umoya United was sold. According to Soccerladuma, a failed trial at Moroka Swallows spelled the end for Professor and he then decided to embark on a new journey in coaching.
He was then appointed a youth coach for CT City and tasked with managing the under-16 team. That same year, he led the side to the Engen Knockout Challenge, where his boys claimed a sizeable R25 000 in prize money.
The 35-year-old was also spotted in Dublin in Ireland sometime in the last six months where he appeared to have been attending a coaching program alongside Kaizer Chiefs academy coach Tsidiso Letsholonyane, who is the brother of the former Amakhosi playmaker Reneilwe Yeye Letsholonyane.
With Mayambela now seemingly making real progress in his coaching career, his meeting with Menzo appears to have been eye-opening for the Khayelitsha-born tactician.
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Did you know?
Menzo spent 10 full seasons at Dutch giants Ajax and won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1987 and the UEFA Cup in 1992.
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