Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Reneilwe Letsholonyane has been appointed as the new head coach of the Botswana side, Matebele FC.
‘Yeye,’ as he is popularly known within football circles, finalised his move to Matebele on Sunday and confirmed it on his official Instagram account.
His best friend and former teammate at Amakhosi and Bafana Bafana, Siphiwe Tshabalala, was also present at the unveiling in Botswana to support Letsholonyane in his new chapter.
According to reports, Letsholonyane penned a two-year deal with Matebele. In addition, ‘Yeye’ comes highly recommended as he holds a CAF A Coaching Licence.
To top it off, Letsholonyane has previously coached the AmaZulu FC reserve side and was involved in the technical set-ups of the South African Under-20 and Bafana Bafana – CHAN squads.
But the move to Botswana marks Letsholonyane’s first professional coaching role as he assumes the coaching responsibilities at Matebele. He is set to take charge of his new side against his fellow countryman Owen Da Gama in his opening game. The former Magesi FC coach, Da Gama, coaches Black Lions.
Matebele are scheduled to lock horns with Lions away from home. This Botswana Premier League tie between the two teams will be played on Saturday, 13 September 2025.
The Lions and Matebele showdown will take place at Royal Aria Stadium, with the kick-off set for 16:00.
RENEILWE LETSHOLONYANE’S OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON HIS APPOINTMENT AS MATEBELE FC HEAD COACH
“This song describes this journey. It is whatever ‘TSO…kong…kong…kong…’ means to you,” Letsholonyane stated, referencing the song that accompanied his official statement on Instagram.
“To me, it means the excitement, nerves, and most of all, being grateful. Anyway, Ke le Tebele go tloga janong [loosely translated as I’m part of Matebele FC as of today].”
Matebele are currently placed 10th on the Botswana Premier League log standings with three points from three outings.
MATEBELE FC’S OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON RENEILWE LETSHOLONYANE’S APPOINTMENT
The Botswana side also confirmed the appointment of Letsholonyane as their new mentor on Monday, 1 September 2025.
“We are excited to welcome Reneilwe ‘Yeye’ Letsholonyane as head coach of Matebele FC. Mr Letsholonyane holds a CAF A coaching license,” said Matebele in a statement.
“Coach Yeye joins the team at a time when our focus as a club is shifting towards younger players. As a club we have taken a deliberate decision to afford young players a chance to play premier league football from a young age and to amplify recruitment from lower divisions.
“This we hope will aid in the development of local players and getting them ready for the national team in the not so distant future. Coach Yeye has been working with young players since his retirement as a football player both at AmaZulu FC and South Africa Under-20 national team. Coach Yeye officially started his new role on the 30th August 2025.”
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