Duncan Thaane Lechesa (born 26 July 1976) is a retired

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

player who is currently the head coach of

National First Division The National First Division (NFD), officially known as the Motsepe Foundation Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest league of South African club association football, football after the South African Premier Division. Both t ...

team F.C. Cape Town.

Career

In a 15-year career, Lechesa played as a central midfielder for

Bloemfontein Celtic Bloemfontein Celtic Football Club (simply known as Celtic) is a South African amateur football club based in Bloemfontein that competes in the ABC Motsepe League, the third tier of the South African football league system. Bloemfontein Celtic has ...

, Ajax Cape Town,

Black Leopards Black Leopards FC is a South African football club based in Thohoyandou, Vhembe Region, Limpopo that plays in the National First Division. History The club was founded in 1983 by business people in the Vhembe Region. In 1998 the club was tak ...

and

Free State Stars Free State Stars Football club is a South African professional football club based in Bethlehem, Free State that plays in the National First Division. Formerly known as Makwane Computer Stars and Qwa Qwa Stars, their most significant honour i ...

before retiring in 2010. Born in Bloemfontein, Free State, Lechesa began playing football with Bloemfontein Celtic's youth sides before signing with

club

Bloemfontein Young Tigers Bloemfontein Young Tigers are a South African football (soccer) club based in Bloemfontein that participates in the Vodacom League. The club was formed in 1925 and plays currently at Tempe Military Base. Association football clubs establishe ...

. He started 24 league matches during his final season with Stars, winning the club's player of the season award. After he retired from playing, Lechesa became a football coach. He was appointed manager of

Carara Kicks Carara Kicks was a South African football (soccer) club based in Welkom, Free State that played in the National First Division. The club is owned by Motebang Mokoena, the son of Free State Stars owner Mike Mokoena and serves as a feeder team t ...

in 2010. He had a brief stint with United FC in 2011, but returned to Carara Kicks. Lechesa joined

Polokwane City Polokwane City Football Club is a South African professional football club based in the city of Polokwane in the Limpopo province that currently plays in the second tier National First Division. The team currently plays its home matches at the P ...

in January 2013, and led them to promotion to the

Premier Soccer League Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...

within six months. He parted ways with Polokwane City on 16 September 2013 after the club had lost their opening 4 games of the 2013–14 Premier Soccer League season. Lechesa was appointed the head coach of F.C. Cape Town on 22 October 2013, but resigned in March 2014

References

1976 births Living people South African men's soccer players Sportspeople from Bloemfontein Bloemfontein Celtic F.C. players Cape Town Spurs F.C. players Black Leopards F.C. players Free State Stars F.C. players Men's association football midfielders Polokwane City F.C. managers South African soccer managers Soccer players from the Free State (province) {{southAfrica-footy-bio-stub