She may not have won the Coach of the Year accolade in the 2022 Hollywoodbets Super League awards, but in her own right, Nthabeleng Modiko is a top class coach.
In 2022 alone, she won four tournaments as head coach of the University of Johannesburg Ladies – the Engen Knockout Challenge in June, Engen Champ of Champs in October, the FNB Women’s Varsity Football Cup in October, the USSA Football Championships in December.
To top it all, she also walked away with personal accolades: Coach of the Tournament in the Engen Champ of Champs, Coach of the Tournament in the USSA Champs and UJ Coach of the Year.
As a cherry on top, she led the University of Johannesburg (UJ Ladies) to a respectable fifth-place finish in the elite women’s league, after they ended ninth in 2021.
And she did not stop there.
Modiko and Simphiwe Dludlu led Banyana Banyana to silver in the 2022 COSAFA Women’s Championships in Gqeberha this year.
Dunga’s association with the game of billions can be traced back to the dusty streets of Maokeng, Kroonstad (Free State) when she started playing with boys.
She then stepped up and joined UFS Kovsies (2003 – 2007), where she was studying, before moving to Bloemfontein Celtic Ladies (2006-2007) in the Sasol League.
Modiko, who holds a CAF C LICENCE COACHING QUALIFICATION, has also coached the Deaf SA team which travelled to Greece.
She won bronze with Banyana Banyana in the then African Women’s Championship in 2010 (now known as the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations – WAFCON) as captain of the squad, earning 32 caps for the South African Senior Women’s National Team.
Modiko is a great believer in the combination of sport and education, something she impresses upon her players – she holds a Diploma in Banking as well as BCom Degree.
CentreCircle spoke to her and this is what she had to say:
Coach congratulations on your 5th place finish in the 2022 Hollywoodbets Super League in your first season. How does it feel like?
Thank you, I think personally I feel so happy for the team to have such a great achievement. It was our target to improve on the performance and I’m happy for it all. It’s almost like dejavu because my first season in the Sasol League with Wits University, we got fifth position also. Maybe it’s my luck or I just work hard, I don’t know, but I hope it’s both. I’m happy really.
You took over from coach Anna Monate in the middle of the season, what position was the team, and do you remember the first match?
It was in the beginning of the second round, we played against Coal City Wizards and won 1-0 at Soweto. I think we were on 7/8th position.
(Editor: Her first match was on Saturday, 13 August 2022. She played 15, Won 8, Drew 4, lost 3 – Sundowns, UWC, Richmond)
How did you turn things around for such a high finish, considering you finished in 9thplace last season?
I arrived at UJ in January as an assistant to coach Anna. The team was good but the players didn’t necessarily believe in their abilities. I just spoke a lot of football with the team, got to understand what interests them and made them realise that they have so much talent and potential but we had to supplement it with hard work. I’m glad the tactic has been fruitful thus far.
You have a fairly young team that has to balance education with football – how did you get it right?
I’ve been in their shoes before, at UJ and Kovsies, under the leadership of Ms Nomsa Mahlangu. It’s a familiar place for me and it’s even better that it’s also my two great passions, football and education. It’s a prerequisite to be excellent in both for me, and great enough to be at a place that desires the same for its athletes. We always have to remind our talents that to achieve one goal opens up space for the next. I shared as much of my academic/football dilemmas with them as well as successes.
All three university teams finished in the top five (UWC – 2nd, TUT – 3rd and UJ – 5th) – what makes the teams different from the others because clearly you must be doing something right?
I don’t know about the other teams but for us, we have good resources at UJ, and I was blessed to come into a space that has expert coaching department, and even amazing players. I can’t remember who said it but ‘student athletes are the best because of their comprehensive training in class and quick speeds of understanding the game’. Maybe that’s the secret sauce.
A new university team (TUKS Ladies) is joining next season – how excited are you and what would your advice to them be?
Super excited for them, especially for coach Maud, because I think I know how much this has been her dream. It’s a reality now and I want to
say to them congratulations once more and welcome to the big league. They will have fun, I’m sure of it. They’re a quality team and an institution with great history for football. Our battles (with Coach Maud) are always fun and entertaining, maybe it’s also thanks to our TV work together.
UJ had three players in the SA Women’s U17 National Team that won the Region 5 COSAFA Cup recently in Malawi – clearly you guys are being recognised for your good work with the young players
Yes, we are very proud of Sandra & Adrielle (Mibe sisters) and Gositang Motshegwe. I believe their hard work has gotten them the greatest reward in being Region5 champs and thanks to Coach Simphiwe for the call up, and the feedback she gave us to help them improve throughout the year. I’m glad no one thought me crazy when I promoted them to the first team at only 15 and 16 years this year, and them regularly playing in the Hollywoodbets Super League catapulted their experiences in the game.
Still on the national team front, you were a silver medallist with Banyana Banyana in Gqeberha in the 2022 COSAFA Women’s Championship – another great run, how important was that to you?
A personal highlight for me for this year. This was a big test for me and I’m just amazed by the talent Coach Simphiwe brought together. I was very honoured by her calling me up. So this was unexpected but a great deal for me. I hope more opportunities of the same kind can come my way.
You then went on to lift the 2022 Women’s Varsity Cup – this was indeed a phenomenal year for you, beating a strong UWC in the final…
This tournament was tough, entertaining, nerve-wracking but memorable in its entirety. I had analysed the men’s matches a couple of weeks prior to our tournament kicking off. I was saddened by our men’s team losing in the final. For us, every match was a final, so to come up against UWC was even bigger. We knew they’re a quality side and had to do our work and leave it all on
the pitch. Credit should go to the girls, I know how hard I worked them, and it’s a cherry on top to end it all with a gold medal and a trophy.
(Editor: UJ defeated UWC 5-3 on penalties after a goalless stalemate – this was UJ’s second title after they won it back in 2013 with the retired Banyana Banyana captain Amanda Dlamini in the team, including Modiko herself).
And now you have come full circle in the USSA Champs. You seem a great love affair with the tournament – 2009 Player of the Tournament, 2014 Manager of the Tournament, 2022 Champions and also 2022 Coach of the tournament…
I am laughing now, but honestly it seems so surreal that I’ve managed such. God has been gracious to me and I praise and thank Him for all these. It’s so unbelievable and wonderful really. I think also the fact that all these achievements are for USSA – and I was/am with UJ in all of them is another great plot. I won USSA Championship four times as a player with UJ, got a silver medal when I won the Manager of the Tournament award and the fifth time comes with me as a coach for UJ. I know my late coach at UJ, Ntate Isaac Mokoena is super proud right now. He is smiling for sure and beaming. I dedicate this year to him.
What was the feeling like winning USSA Champs as a coach – especially after defeating a strong UWC in the semi’s, and rounding off with a victory over Tuks?
The semi-final vs UWC was very dramatic to the last minute. Penalty kicks, AGAIN. But hey, it wouldn’t be a UJ vs UWC fixture if there’s no drama. Playing the final against Tuks and Coach Maud was super educational for me. She always dishes some tactical lesson my way and her brilliance can’t go unnoticed. I’m very happy that we won. A fourth tournament going unbeaten, so I can say is well done to my team.
To top it all, UJ named you the UJ Football Coach of the Year 2022 – now that is a big reward… what does it mean to you?
I’m proud really. It’s a prestigious thing and I want to be able to live up to it for years to come. It sums up this year so brilliantly and I’m so grateful to the panel for adding my name to this accolade. It’s really an honour.
During the year you were also involved with Television work as a football analyst – is it something for the future?
I absolutely loved the opportunity, the experience will never be forgotten or taken lightly. It opened me up to a whole new world and I got to do something new, exciting and challenging. I really want to do it regularly and I pray again for more opportunities to do this tv work. I want it!
Also, being a coach, how does it feel being on the other side and analysing other coaches?
I see it as educational in that I learn what other coaches are doing and not doing. It’s another way of like peer reviews or like becoming an intern all over again, or like mentoring.. depending on your own experiences or years in the coaching industry. I loved listening to Coach Jerry, how he broke down patterns of play, how Coach Mellissa strategized in the second half talks, how Coach Maud analysed each team every match. And they were spot on.
Looking at your 2022 journey, what lessons have been learnt that will help you in 2023?
There’s a whole lot I’m still learning, like time management is a thing for me. And this year, I’ve improved in that element as well as my coaching traits and styles. A lot of people and experiences moulded me this year so I need to give them a shout out.. and they all know. I just want to carry on working hard in 2023 and dream of more success.
After a fine run this year, what can we expect from UJ the team, and yourself personally, next season?
No pressure but in 2023, I hope to do the same as 2022 but bigger and more. So I’m working towards that. We are a young team and we just want to develop and grow into the game. There’s so much that this team will do, people will be pleasantly surprised. For now, let’s enjoy our festive, rest and stay safe. And I want to wish the same to all our players, supporters and their families and yourself Mr Morake. Till next season. Merry Christmas!!
NTHABELENG MODIKO FACT FILE:
- 2022 January UJ as assistant coach to Anna Monate
- 2022 June Won Engen Knockout Challenge
- 2022 August Promoted to head coach
- 2022 October Won Engen Champ of Champs
- 2022 October Won Coach of the Tournament for Engen Champ of Champs
- 2022 October FNB Varsity Women’s Cup champion
- 2022 November Hollywoodbets Super League 5th place – UJ
- 2022 November named UJ Coach of the Year
- 2022 December won USSA Women’s Football Championship
- 2022 December named USSA Football Women’s Coach of the Tournament
- 2021 USSA FNB Varsity Cup Semi finalist
- 2021 Gauteng Sasol League 3rd place on the log
- 2019 USSA Football Section-A (3rd position) Bronze medallists
- 2019 USSA Football Section-A Team of the Tournament
- 2019 – Led Wits University F.C to earn their promotion and debut to Gauteng Sasol League and finished 5th on the log
- 2017 & 2018 Johannesburg Regional League Champions
- Holds a BCOMM Degree from the UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE (UOFS), AND A NATIONAL DIPLOMA IN BANKING
- Holds a CAF C LICENCE Coaching qualification
- Assistant coach to Simphiwe Dludlu in the South African U17 Women’s National Team
- Played for UFS Kovsies (2003 – 2007)
- Played for Bloemfontein Celtic Ladies for a year (2006-2007)
- Coached Modiko United Killers in Kroonstad (her brother’s team)
- Also coached a deaf SA soccer team, travelling to Greece with the squad
- 2010 – Won bronze with Banyana Banyana at the African Women’s Championship as captain
- 32 Caps for South Africa
- 52 caps for the USSA team
- Participated in three World Student Games
By Matlhomola Morake
