Lehlohonolo Majoro targets specialist striker coaching after football career

Former Bafana Bafana striker Lehlohonolo Majoro is pursuing CAF coaching qualifications as he prepares to focus on developing strikers in South Africa.

Majoro, who studied radiography and completed a qualification early in his playing career, once appeared to have a clear route into the medical profession after football. But the game has remained his strongest passion following a career that lasted almost two decades.

The 40-year-old began his professional career with KZN club AmaZulu before playing for both Soweto giants, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates – an elite group of clubs represented by only a select number of players.

Majoro has since taken on ambassadorial roles with the Betway Premiership and the MTN8. His main priority, however, is to support young and professional players through the Major Elite Soccer Strikers Academy (MESSA), which he founded to help address South Africa’s long-standing shortage of clinical finishers.

He is studying for his CAF coaching badges and expects to become a fully qualified coach after completing his diploma. His ambition is to specialise in coaching strikers rather than return to radiography for now.

“Studying is my thing,” Majoro told IOL Sport. “I always enjoy equipping myself with knowledge. Yes, I am a radiographer by profession, and I even started a radiography business during my playing days, but things didn’t go according to plan.

“I believe football is my passion – a true calling. You must always pursue what you love, because then it never feels like work. I will be a qualified coach once I complete my diploma, but I want to specialise in coaching strikers.

“If we as South Africans can rebuild our relationship with the goalposts, we will start being more clinical and winning more games.”

Majoro finished his playing career just short of 100 PSL goals and experienced the difficulties faced by strikers who do not always receive position-specific coaching. He believes attackers have often lacked the dedicated attention traditionally available to goalkeepers.

“Head coaches usually don’t have time to focus exclusively on strikers because they are busy preparing tactical plans for the upcoming match and analysing opponents,” he said.

MESSA was created to provide professional players with a separate environment in which to improve their finishing and technical skills.

“I am completely dedicated to strikers,” Majoro added. “The reason I opened MESSA was to give professional footballers a dedicated platform to sharpen their skills. It helps immensely. I’ve seen it with Mduduzi Shabalala of Kaizer Chiefs. He has natural technique – he just needed familiarity with the ball and greater confidence.”

Majoro also believes his background in radiography can inform his approach to coaching. Both fields, he says, require discipline, close observation and precision.

“Radiography requires discipline, and so does football,” he explained. “In health care, everything demands that you be observant and careful because it’s a controlled, clinical space. You are dealing with injuries and people, so you must follow precise procedures.

“In football, especially with striking, you need to understand your environment, the players you are working with, and the specific requirements for different groups. At the end of the day, the goalposts never move – only the goalkeeper does. Mastering the technique is what matters most.”