KZN through and through: If you want to know what “paying your dues” looks like in KwaZulu-Natal football, look no further than Richards Bay FC co-coach Ronnie Gabriel.
At the recent Nedbank Cup presser in Umhlanga, the Richards Bay co-coach took off his “game face” for a moment to share a journey that sounds more like a movie script than a standard CV. It wasn’t just a talk about tactics; it was a love letter to local football.
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Ronnie isn’t a coach who was gifted a whistle and a clipboard because of a famous name. He’s a “KZN through and through” success story who started at the very bottom: the Tongaat Local Football Association.
He spoke with genuine emotion about his rise through the ranks, most notably his “undefeated” era with Uthongathi FC.
He took them from local amateur football, through a flawless run in the SAB Regional League, and eventually into the National First Division.
“I started my coaching career at LFA level. I’ve coached Uthongathi FC from the time they were at LFA level. I promoted Uthongathi FC to the then SAB league,” Gabriel noted, a point of pride for a man who has seen every blade of grass the province has to offer.
The KwaZulu-Natal football stalwart added, “We won the SA regional league. Got promoted into the provincial structure, which was then the ABC Motsepe League. First year, we ended up position second. Kings ended up winning the league, Real Kings FC.”
He continued, “The following season, we won the league. We went into the play-offs, national play-offs in East London. We won the play-off undefeated, we dominated the play-offs.”
After establishing Uthongathi in the National First Division ranks, Gabriel moved to Richards Bay FC after one season. There, as a vital member of the technical team, he played a key role in the Natal Rich Boyz historic promotion to the PSL.
He recounted, “Richards Bay was then in the National First Division and part of the technical team, we promoted Richards Bay FC to the PSL. That’s basically my coaching journey.”
In a moment of uncharacteristic vulnerability, Gabriel then touched on the “what if” moments of his youth.
“My love for football, my passion for the game grew at a very, very young age when I was a young boy playing in the Tongaat Local Football Association in the junior structures,” he reminisced.
A former player for Stanger United in the NFD, his playing days were cut short by a career-ending injury. “I would have liked to progress to further stages in my career, but injuries curtailed that,” Gabriel admitted. “However, my love and passion for the game never diminished.”
Instead of walking away, Gabriel channelled that frustration into education. He is now one of the most qualified minds in the dugout, having systematically climbed the coaching ladder to earn his CAF A License.
This technical expertise was on full display earlier this season when he and co-coach Papi Zothwane led Richards Bay to the Carling Knockout semi-finals, narrowly falling to the eventual champions, Orlando Pirates.
This weekend, Gabriel’s Richards Bay side travels to the Dr. Petrus Molemela Stadium for a high-stakes Nedbank Cup clash against Siwelele FC.
The fixture is a true “knife-fight” in a cup format, featuring two sides currently locked in a tight battle in the Betway Premiership standings.
With only two points separating them in the league, and their previous encounter ending in a goalless stalemate, Gabriel’s experience in “preparing teams to perform at their optimum” will be tested.
For a man who has conquered every level from the LFA to the PSL, this is just another chapter in a lifelong KZN football odyssey.
Kick-off in Bloemfontein is set for 18h00 tomorrow evening.