Songezo Morris Cele founded the Nesh United Football Club in 2022, teaching soccer skills to boys between 11 and 19 in Braelyn and surrounding areas to keep them away from substance abuse and other social ills.
“The level of substance abuse in our area is alarming. We have children as young as 10 on drugs because they have nothing to do when they come back from school.”
Cele, 33, said most of the boys came from disadvantaged homes where parents were unemployed and some depended on social grants. Some of the boys were simply neglected.
The club now has 97 players in five divisions.
He works with manager Nombasa Sihlitha and coach Eric Diniso, training the boys on a disused field in the area at 4pm on weekdays, and playing matches at weekends.
The team cut the long grass, trimmed the trees and cleaned up the abandoned open space to make it usable and accessible to children in the area.
“We use rocks to mark the goalposts and logs and branches to mark the field’s perimeter, making it easy for the players to stick to the rules.”
Cele said he noticed the change in mindset and behaviour of team members after they joined, because many lacked the most basic life skills and usually needed guidance.
“We had children in the team who used to smoke weed. We study their conduct and try to find out more about their background and find the most suitable individual solutions.”
Sihlitha said as manager she ensured that when the boys had away matches, they were well-equipped and had enough food, as some parents were not as supportive as they should be.
She was pleased with the work they did, as they could see changes in children within a short time of joining the club.
In some cases, parents were the biggest challenge.
“We find parents of boys who were using drugs before they joined the team taking them out of the club, saying it takes too much of their time.
“When they relapse, the parents force them to come back because they know that our main aim is to curb the substance abuse problem in our community.”
Diniso, who played for Golden Chiefs in Ncera, said he was happy with how seriously the boys took their playing.
“I love how they respect me and always adhere to the rules I make — it tells me that all they need is guidance and encouragement because they do have potential.”
A 16-year-old player said he started smoking weed when he was 13, but stopped when he joined the club in 2024.
“I was not happy with the life I was living, and joining the team really changed my life. I could have moved to stronger substances and missed the chance of realising my talent.”
He expressed gratitude to the team for being accepting without any judgment.
Unathi Sili, 41, the mother of two club members aged 11 and 14, said the club had made a huge difference in the community because it had empowered, disciplined and equipped the boys to manage their time.
“Our children also get exposure when they play matches. One of my sons was selected to play for the Border region and the club made a huge contribution to that, as they practise every day.”
Mavis Mtati, who nominated Cele for the Daily Dispatch Local Hero awards, said in a community where drugs were sold in broad daylight, Cele provided positivity.
“Mr Songezo saw a gap and took the initiative to coach these boys in soccer skills, so they don’t involve themselves with drugs.
“The community of Riverglen appreciates Mr Songezo’s work and the love he shows to our children.
“We’ve noticed their behaviour has changed when responding to their parents.”
Daily Dispatch
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