Thinasonke Mbuli

Thinasonke Phakamile Jessica Mbuli is South African professional soccer manager and current head coach of SAFA Women's League side University of the Western Cape and the assistant coach of the South Africa women's national soccer team.

Mbuli become the first female South African coach, second overall, to qualify for the CAF Women's Champions League after winning the 2024 COSAFA Women's Champions League. She was nominated for the CAF Women's Coach of the Year award in 2024.

Coaching career In September 2017, Mbuli was appointed assistant coach of the South Africa women's national soccer team. She was part of the technical team when they won their maiden continental title at the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations and were runner's up at the 2018 Women's Africa Cup of Nations. She was also part of the technical team when they won their first FIFA Women's World Cup match and qualified for their first ever knockout round in 2023.

University of the Western Cape In 2019, she was appointed head coach of the University of the Western Cape. She led the team to runners-up position at the Women's Varsity Football with her team losing out to six time consecutive winners TUT Ladies.

In 2021, she led the team to their maiden Women's Varsity Football title.

In 2023, she was named the SAFA Women's League coach of the season Her team also won the 2023 Women's Varsity Football.

In 2024, she defended the Women's Varsity Football title by winning the 2024 Women's Varsity Football tournament. Her team were the first university to qualify for the COSAFA Women's Champions League due to finishing second in the 2023 SAFA Women's League. She won the 2024 COSAFA Women's Champions League with 3 wins, 1 draw (the final) and a single loss.

Honours Manager

COSAFA Women's Champions League: 2024 Women's Varsity Football: 2021, 2023, 2024

South Africa (assistant coach)

Women's Africa Cup of Nations: 2022, runners-up: 2018

Individual

2023 SAFA Women's League: Coach of the Season