Mbabane – Correctional Sunrise Ladies Volleyball head coach Phampetha Vilakati has been appointed head coach of the senior female national team, marking the development of a career he dedicated himself to from high school.
Vilakati, who now seeks to conquer the regional Zone 6 Club Championships, shared his remarkable journey, revealing how he rose from a player at Mankayane High to leading Eswatini’s national women’s volleyball squad.
Vilakati’s career began in Form One at Mankayane High School, mentored by the late Mr V.O. Dlamini. His early passion led to co-founding Manzini Super Stars in Form Three, followed by stints at Mhlume Volleyball and a significant eight-year tenure with Lomahasha Customs (2005-2013) under Coach Friction.
He later joined Correctional Sunrise, where he played until 2023. He recalled his time at Siteki Nazarene as a key moment.
“I was a player coach, and it was the best moment at the school level,” he said. His transition to coaching began informally, but his official ascent started under Dr Maphosa, who promoted him to full-time Correctional Sunrise female team head coach in 2015.
Vilakati openly expressed his gratitude to all his mentors, especially Dr Maphosa, saying, “He is the one who nurtured my coaching, and he gave me all that a coach can ever need.”
Coach Friction, he noted, even today “calls me to order when misbehaving.”
His dedication earned him national roles starting in 2018 with the under-23males squad, culminating in his 2023 appointment as the senior female national team head coach.
Vilakati’s Correctional Sunrise Ladies have recently showcased their dominance in local open tournaments, securing impressive victories despite intense competition.
Reflecting on the Scorpions’ Tournament, Vilakati admitted that the team was initially challenged because they had lost the previous edition, but “players were doubting themselves, but they showed up and won it.” They carried this confidence into the Phoenix Volleyball Galore Tournament, which he described as high-speed, noting, “everyone was on speed.”
The Redskins Volleyball Tournament proved the most challenging, where they lost a group stage match but won the final against the tournament favourites 3-0. He stressed that the final match was a “test of character”, and he remarked that the pressure is constant because as “the team to beat, everyone makes it a point; we never have a space to relax.”
Looking ahead, the team is setting its sights on the Zone 6 Club Championships in Polokwane this December, aiming to repeat their 2018 victory.
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