In South African football, stories of resilience and untapped talent often begin in the most unassuming of places – in dusty townships, on uneven pitches, and through the watchful eyes of community coaches who see beyond the rawness to the potential.
Sinoxolo Kwayiba’s journey from the streets of Motherwell in the Eastern Cape to donning the colours of Orlando Pirates is one such tale, narrated powerfully by his long-time mentor, Mncedi Lali.
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“Sinoxolo arrived here to me in Addo in 2014,” Lali begins, with the tone of a man recounting the early chapters of a football story he always believed would one day be told on a national stage.
At the time, Lali was involved in a corporate social responsibility project through his workplace, hosting annual soccer clinics in the small town of Addo. The initiative attracted high-profile guests and coaching staff from around the world, with top clubs in Mzansi like Kaizer Chiefs sending representatives.
In 2014, some of the big names in local football – Arthur Zwane, Walter Steenbok, and Ace Khuse – were part of the talent identification program run during these clinics.
That was when a young, wide-eyed Kwayiba, all the way from Motherwell, arrived on Lali’s radar.
“His father knows me,” Lali explains. “He approached me about the boy, and we agreed that he would bring him along to be part of the clinic and talent search we were hosting that year.”
Kwayiba, still rough around the edges at that stage, didn’t quite catch the attention of the scouts from Chiefs.
But Lali, having worked with young talent over the years, saw something more than just a raw footballer, he saw a player who needed nurturing, time, and polish.
“I advised his father to bring him closer to me in Addo. It wasn’t because I wanted him to play for my team, United Brothers – not at all. I just wanted him in an environment where he could be guided properly and developed further.”
The journey wasn’t glamorous. Far from the bright lights and roaring crowds of professional football, Kwayiba spent time sharpening his craft in the local football circuit around Addo. Eventually, he joined Bush Pirates, a club known for its gritty competitiveness and grounding of players in the Eastern Cape region. It was here that his progress started to gain real momentum.
His first major break came when he played in the ABC Motsepe League, which is a battleground where diamonds in the rough either crack under pressure or start to shine. Kwayiba did the latter.
Recognising that the youngster had matured and was ready for the next step, Lali reached out to another respected figure in the coaching space, Kwanele Kopo, then in charge of Pretoria Callies.
“I recommended six players to Mntakwende (Kopo),” Lali shares. “Sinoxolo was the only one who got signed. That was his breakthrough. He played just one season at Callies before he was snapped up by Chippa United.”
From Chippa, the path continued upward, a testament to Kwayiba’s relentless dedication, hard work, and belief.
Today, he finds himself on one of the biggest stages in Mzansi football, wearing the famous Black and White of Pirates.
Lali, a man of few words but strong football intuition, reflects on the journey with quiet pride.
“You know, when I saw him for the first time, he was just a boy with a dream and raw talent. What I saw was possibility, and now, everyone can see it too,” the mentor concluded.
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Sinoxolo Kwayiba’s story is not just about football. It’s about patience, mentorship, belief, and the power of community in shaping future stars.
And while he may now belong to the Ghost Nation, the people of Addo, and especially Mncedi Lali, will always claim a special part of his story.
Photo by Orlando Pirates
