Samuel Julies set to start coaching role with University of Pretoria juniors

Samuel Julies appears set to begin a new career in coaching after stepping away from playing for University of Pretoria, with Soccer Laduma reporting that the former captain is expected to work with junior players at TUKS.

The 35-year-old has not featured in the AmaTuks squad since the end of last season. Although the club has not issued any communication about his playing future, indications are that Julies has ended his career on the pitch and is now turning his attention to developing young footballers.

Julies captained University of Pretoria in the Motsepe Foundation Championship for several years and had hoped to help the club return to top-flight football. He was part of the team that missed out on promotion through the play-offs under former coach Tlisane Motaung.

His experience includes spells with Mamelodi Sundowns, Vasco da Gama, Chippa United and Ajax Cape Town. Julies joined AmaTuks in 2019 and established himself as one of the club’s most consistent performers, a run of form which eventually led to him being handed the captain’s armband.

A move into youth coaching would allow Julies to remain involved at the club while passing on the knowledge gained during his playing career. The change would also follow a path previously taken by other former TUKS players.

University of Pretoria have rewarded several of their long-serving players with coaching opportunities. In recent times, Aubrey Ngoma and Thokozani Sekotlong have taken charge of U13 teams at the club.

Ngoma and Sekotlong both represented TUKS before moving on to other clubs in the PSL. They later returned to University of Pretoria, where their previous contributions had made a lasting impact.