By Khanyisile Brukwe. Images: Supplied
Cape Town Sea Robbers FC is a young club. But in just their second year, the Khayelitsha-based team finished second in the league, placed third in the Denis Goldberg Cup, and reached the last 32 Round of the Safa Cape Town Coke Cup as well – and all this without official sponsorship. And Coach Yonela Mangaliso believes these young ladies still have far to go – if he has anything to say about it, anyway.
Yonela was born in Sada near Queenstown in the Eastern Cape. But it was in Scenery Park in East London that his early life unfolded – and where he first fell in love with football, the game that would come to define so much of his life.
He played barefoot in the streets and walked for hours to reach matches, never letting the lack of boots or resources dull his determination.
That passion continued when Yonela moved to Cape Town to live with his father, where he played for Moonlight FC and later Ocean View Academy – until a knee injury in 2010 forced him to set soccer aside for a while.
Nearly a decade later, his passion for football was reignited when he began assisting a local team in BM Section, an informal settlement in Khayelitsha, by coaching their goalkeepers. And in 2021, he officially joined Brothers FC as a coach for the under-16 boys. It was there that a new vision emerged – one that would be met with resistance, frustration, and eventually, hope
Yonela wanted to start a girls’ soccer team to provide an outlet for young female footballers, but the idea wasn’t immediately accepted. “Girls and soccer just don’t mix,” some said
He pushed forward anyway, and ultimately, Brothers FC agreed. The girls’ team began training in 2022, and playing occasional friendlies. By 2023, they joined the regional women’s promotional league under SAFA Cape Town – but as the girls began showing talent and drawing attention, Yonela found himself being increasingly sidelined.
He met with Lona Mashabane, a fellow coach he met through friendlies, who pushed him to imagine something new – a way to put his skills and vision into building something to call his own
It was a tough decision. But it was the girls themselves who gave him the strength to try
“They told me: ‘Coach, we want to leave with you. We will stick with you through thick and thin.’ That really gave me strength
And so, with their loyalty and support from their parents, the Cape Town Sea Robbers were born on 11 November 2023, under the guidance of Yonela, Lona, (who had joined as a founding partner, and their third partner, Aviwe Mafilika.
“I’ve always been a fan of Kaizer Chiefs myself,” he recalls. “But my father was a lover of Orlando Pirates. And what are pirates but sea robbers? So when we were brainstorming names, I threw out the suggestion – and we all loved it.”
It’s Not The Weapons – It’s The Warriors
With no sponsor, no formal field, and barely any equipment, the trio built the team from the ground up. They registered it as a non-profit, using their own money and energy to transport players, buy apparel and training equipment, and keep the dream alive
“Some parents couldn’t afford transport. Some girls had no soccer boots. The team trained on a piece of land littered with trash because it was the only space they had. But still, they showed up.”
Players came from Mfuleni, Harare, and across Khayelitsha. Yonela and Lona stretched what little they had – at the time, just three balls and one full kit – and still, they made it to every game. The team traveled to Gugulethu, Langa, Heideveld, Strand, Stellenbosch and more
Despite everything, by the end of their first official season in 2024, Cape Town Sea Robbers placed third in the league. For a team of girls who had only started playing soccer in 2022, it was nothing short of extraordinary – and they’ve just continued to get better.
Yet, through it all, Yonela has stayed focused. He continues to mentor the players not just in soccer, but in life: “Focus on school, respect your family, and then focus on football,” he tells them
He believes sport builds more than skills and coordination: it also builds community.
His players seem to agree.
“What I love most about playing football is that it builds relationships between people,” says Sea Robbers player Asekho Sikiti. “You make friends among the players, and it also opens our minds in terms of dealing with stressful situations. And in the community you will be congratulated and respected for what you are doing – and you may even inspire some more young individuals to develop their love for football.”
Funding remains an issue – especially when it comes to paying the R3000 affiliation fee every season to keep the club in the Monwabisi Local Football Association (allowing them to take part in SAFA competitions). Despite applications, no sponsorship has come through yet.
Still, Yonela keeps pushing and remains hopeful.
“I would like to thank the God almighty, the players, the parents, the supporters that always support us and the CT Sea Robbers family – we couldn’t do it without them.”
He draws strength from his role models: Thabo Thukuthezi, the coach for Goal Hunters at Sasol; Mr Sibonile Patreick Tyatyi, the coach for TTACT; and coach Bayanda Sikiti for Dangerous Heroes. “Those are the people I go to with my grievances or ask for things and they advise me. I copy the style they use to coach. They are my role models. As well as radio presenter at Radio Zibonele, Mr Max Mqulwana.”
Yonela’s dream is to see Cape Town Sea Robbers climb the football ladder from development league to regional, from Sasol to Hollywood Bets Super League, and one day even the PSL, and beyond
He was recently elected Vice-President under his LFA. But his biggest source of pride is watching girls who once didn’t know how to kick a ball become captains of their school teams. Watching them win tournaments, earn medals, and hold their heads high and find confidence in a world that often tells them they have no place on the field.
“I want to see my players play for teams like Sundown’s Ladies or Wits University, reach Banyana Banyana, and pursue lives they may never have imagined without the ball at their feet.”
