Evangelos Vellios & Vusumuzi Vilakazi chase DStv Diski Challenge history

Published on by Nkosiyabuya Sithole

The reserve team coaches, Evangelos Vellios of Stellenbosch FC and Vusumuzi Vilakazi of AmaZulu FC are in line to make history in the upcoming DStv Diski Challenge which commences next week.

The South African reserve league is set to resume on 31 August following a hiatus of over three months. The opening matches will take place at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Durban. 

Stellenbosch return as the defending champions, aiming for a third consecutive title after securing the trophy in the last two seasons under the guidance of Evangelos Vellios.

They went on to be crowned champions of the 2024 Premier League Next Gen competition in England after overcoming several Premier League rivals earlier this month.

Vellios and Vilakazi remain the only two coaches to have won the Diski Challenge twice. ‘Kanu’ accomplished this feat in the 2015/16 and 2017/18 seasons with the Lamontville Golden Arrows reserve side before advancing to the first team’s technical staff.

Evangelos Vellios & Vusumuzi Vilakazi chase DStv Diski Challenge history
Evangelos Vellios – Photo by Stellenbosch FC

VELLIOS AND VILAKAZI LOOKING TO WRITE NEW HISTORY

Should the two aforementioned coaches win this year’s edition, it would be first time in history that the coach wins the SA reserve league three times since it began ten years ago.

Vellios is approaching six years now mentoring the Cape Winelands side having joined the club in 2019 after departing the Motsepe Foundation Championship club University of Pretoria.

Meanwhile, Vilakazi was recently appointed as the head coach of AmaZulu FC after leaving Richards Bay FC.

He has had a handful of stints with top-flight clubs since 2020. He was an assistant coach of Abafana Bes’thende before he took over as a co-coach along with Mabhuti Khenyeza in 2022.

After departing from the Durban-based club last year, he took on the role of Technical Director at Chippa United. However, his tenure with the Chilli Boys was short-lived, as he left the position after only three months.

Vilakazi then spearheaded Richards Bay and played a pivotal role where he was instrumental in ensuring the club maintained its Premiership status through the PSL playoffs. He parted ways with the club a few weeks ago after some disagreements they had.

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Nkosiyabuya Sithole

Nkosiyabuya Sithole, a young and rising sports journalist based in Durban, South Africa, harbors a deep passion for football. Nevertheless, he aspires to become a well-rounded journalist, adept in various areas of the field.

Nkosi's career began in 2020, working as a home-based writer during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has since written for various websites, including Briefly News, FiND-iT News, and The South African. Attending live sporting events is a particular pleasure for him, as they provide opportunities for interaction with sports personalities.

Outside of the office, he's a God-fearing and affable young man.