400th game in charge up for Da Gama

Magesi coach Owen da Gama is the latest to celebrate a coaching milestone in his career as he celebrates his 400th top flight game in charge on Tuesday when his club take on Kaizer Chiefs at Soccer City.

The 63-year-old Da Gama’s coaching career began while he was still a player in the National Soccer League era with the Durban club Leeds United but came to prominence when he took Silver Stars to promotion in 2003.

They reached the Coca Cola Cup final in their first season, losing 2-0 to Kaizer Chiefs, and went on to turn the club into consistent performers.

At the end of the 2005-06 season, he was named Coach of the Year as Stars finished fifth and in the next campaign, they were Telkom Knockout winners.

Da Gama was enticed to Orlando Pirates in 2007 but dismissed at the end of the season.

He went to Free State Stars briefly and then Bloemfontein Celtic before returning to the re-named Platinum Stars in 2010.

Da Gama was appointed under-23 coach and took South Africa to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and had a stint as caretaker Bafana coach before returning to the cub game at Highlands Park in 2018.

He then went to TS Galaxy and was briefly co-coach at Sekhukhune United near the end of the 2021-22 season, but after five winless matches in partnership with MacDonald Makhubedu declared the concept of two coaches in charge did not work.

Magesi appointed him coach in place of Clinton Larsen at the end of December.

His record as a coach reads 127 wins, 139 draws and 132 defeat.

Da Gama’s milestone follows swiftly on Steve Barker of Stellenbosch reaching 300 and Gavin Hunt at SuperSport United a record 1 000 games in charge in top flight football in South Africa.