South African coach Thabiso Makhetha has shared his remarkable journey of how he secured professional coaching opportunities in Europe, before ever getting the same chance in his home country.
Makhetha, 35, is currently an assistant coach at FC Nomme United in Estonia, marking his third international stint after previous roles in Lithuania and the United States.
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Despite his overseas success, his experience within South Africa was limited to youth coaching, notably at Betway Premiership outfit AmaZulu FC.
Speaking to KickOff.com, Makhetha explained how international networking played a pivotal role in launching his global coaching career.
"Last season I was in Lithuania with a club called FK Riteriai in the second division, working under a Polish coach, Slavo Mirczakowski. We first met in 2019 during a coaching course in Barcelona, in Spain, and since then, we stayed in touch," he said.
"That connection proved crucial for me, after maintaining contact and building a professional network overseas, Mirczakowski attempted to bring me to Zambia, but it did not work as financial negotiations fell through.
"Mirczakowski then landed a job at FK Riteriai, he brought me on board. Together, we helped the club earn promotion to the top division, but financial difficulties forced us to part ways with the club," he added.
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"Now, we still together at United, where we are aiming to restore the club to Estonia’s top flight after relegation. So, in short, that is how I ended up getting this opportunity. But, it’s a learning process, and everything is going well so far here in Estonia."
