More Than A Film: Team South Africa - Bongani Mathiso
|Bongani Mathiso was one of the former Homeless World Cup players in The Beautiful Game Image: Rebecca Corbett
More than A Film: This series explores the real players and management teams at the heart of The Homeless World Cup, the tournament is the inspiration for the feature film, The Beautiful Game.
“It’s not about winning for us; it’s about winning our lives first”
Bongani Mathiso captained South Africa at the Homeless World Cup in Mexico City in 2012, it was the first time he’d left the country. He’d never had a passport before.
Since then he’s become a bit of a global jetsetter, going to multiple Homeless World Cup tournaments as a coach and in 2021, he spent the summer in Rome as a football extra in The Beautiful Game.
Reflecting on the Homeless World Cup, Bongani said: “I think it is still one of the best opportunities I have ever had in my whole life.
“Representing your country, wearing the South African colours, hearing the South African anthem.
“It was a responsibility to take the lead, leading my team both on and off the field. Making sure that we keep that fighting spirit, especially after we lost.
“It was a great achievement for me that I am still celebrating today. When I look back, I have done so much for myself, and I am proud to be part of the Homeless World Cup which has given hundreds of people the opportunity to go and represent their country.”
Life for Bongani looked very different before Bongani met Cliffy Martinuz and got involved with charity Oasis, who coordinate the South African team.
“I was a person who is smart but who is lying to himself, I was lying to my community. I am doing drugs, I am robbing people. I was smart but we would rob people and go to the club and use cocaine and ecstasy, not sleeping for three days. Partying, it was a hectic life, a life of a lie.
Bongani wasn’t only lying to himself, he was lying to his family too.
|Bongani & teammate Dillon on set of The Beautiful Game in Rome.
“My family were unaware that I was doing this. At home, I am a good boy, that is always having a ball, going to play football. But outside football I am another person.
“When someone goes and reports at home, my family will always be defensive because I am portraying someone else at home. Being part of the Homeless World Cup was a life changing opportunity for me.”
It all started when Bongani met South African team manager, Cliffy Martinuz – the founder of Cape Town based not for profit, Oasis.
“I remember when we were at Mr Cliffy’s house, applying for visas, he said, and I kept it in my mind – he wanted to work with me.
“Out of all eight players, I thought, yeah? Ever since then I kept that relationship. After I came back from Mexico, I took part in the Oasis programmes from 2012 as a player and then in 2013 I came back as a coach. Helping on courses teaching life skills, encouraging young and old people to make informed decisions for their future.
“I’m still grateful for Oasis for what they have done for me. And to Mr Cliffy for seeing something that one else believed I had in me. He saw something, some potential in this young man.”
Working alongside Cliffy Martinuz taught Bongani some key skills, which he uses daily as a coach. One of the key qualities, is being compassionate, respecting people’s differences and building trust.
“If we cannot understand people, regardless of background, race, gender, religion, we are not going to get anywhere. Without understanding, we will always have fights.”
Bongani explains the situation in South Africa is leading young people to being caught up in crime and drugs.
“Unemployment is the key that leads people to making uninformed decisions. Unemployment leads to people deciding to take drugs, there’s loss of income. Nobody in the household is working. Unemployment leads to poverty.”
Gang violence is also prevalent in the country, which Bongani says makes life tough.
Despite the struggles at home, going to the Homeless World Cup and meeting other players, gave Bongani a new outlook.
“It’s a life changing opportunity to be able to see that as much as I’m struggling in South Africa, there are people who are struggling times seven, compared to my life.
“It’s about becoming global and not being confined in your thinking.
“The story of a player from Afghanistan motivates me because compared to me, I can go to bed with a slice of bread, but for him, he goes to bed with an empty stomach. It was all about motivation, that level of understanding and connection, that across the world we are one big family that can learn from each other.
“Again, it goes back to that level of understanding, why are we going to the Homeless World Cup, it’s not about winning for us; it’s about winning our lives first.”
South Africa are one of our 70+ member countries. Our partner representing South Africa is Oasis - find out more about their programme and how they’re helping people like Bongani.
We also spoke to Bongani as part of our How to End Homelessness Podcast series, listen to the episode here.
Words and images: Rebecca Corbett