Owen da Gama returns to Vondwe XI Bullets for 2026-27 season

Owen da Gama is returning to South African football after being reappointed as coach of Limpopo ABC Motsepe League club Vondwe XI Bullets for the 2026/27 season.

The experienced 64-year-old coach has opted to continue his career in South Africa after reports suggested he had rejected coaching opportunities in Zambia and Ghana. Sources close to the club have confirmed that Da Gama will resume his role at Vondwe XI Bullets.

The appointment takes him back to a club and environment he already knows well. Da Gama first took charge of Vondwe XI Bullets in 2024, and his latest return comes as the team prepares for another campaign in the third tier of football in Limpopo.

Da Gama most recently worked in Botswana, where he was in charge of Black Lions FC in the Botswana Premier League last year. That spell represented his latest coaching assignment before he agreed to return to Vondwe XI Bullets.

His decision to remain in South Africa follows reports that he had been approached about positions outside the country. Although opportunities in both Zambia and Ghana had been linked with the veteran coach, he has instead chosen to take up a familiar challenge with the Limpopo club.

Vondwe XI Bullets will now begin the 2026/27 season with Da Gama back in charge. The club competes in the Limpopo ABC Motsepe League, meaning the new campaign will once again take place in the province’s third tier.

Da Gama’s experience across different levels of the game is expected to be important to the club’s ambitions. His coaching background includes work with South Africa’s under-23 side, and he returns to Vondwe XI Bullets as the club looks to make an impact during the new season.

The reappointment also gives the coach the opportunity to build on his previous involvement with the team. Having first led Vondwe XI Bullets in 2024, Da Gama is returning with an understanding of the club and its surroundings, while preparing for the demands of another campaign in Limpopo.

The move confirms that the former South Africa U23 coach will continue his coaching journey in South Africa following his time with Black Lions FC. Vondwe XI Bullets will hope his broad experience can help guide the side through the 2026/27 season and support its efforts to establish itself in the Limpopo ABC Motsepe League.