Jomo Sono
Matsilela Ephraim Sono (affectionately known as
Jomo Sono and sometimes also called the "Black Prince of South African Soccer") (
17 July 1955 - ) is a
South African
soccer club owner and coach and was also a star soccer player.
Sono was born in the suburb of Orlando East in
Soweto, near
Johannesburg. When he was eight years old his father
Eric "Scara" Bhamuza Sono, who was a
midfielder for the
Orlando Pirates soccer team in the early 1960s, died as a result of a car crash. Soon after, his mother abandoned him.
Consequently, Sono was left in the care of his ailing grandparents; as they were very poor, he had to resort to selling apples and peanuts at soccer games and train stations in order to clothe himself, buy food for his grandparents and pay school fees.
Sono's soccer career had an unusual beginning; during a match that he attended one of the Orlando Pirates's regular players was absent and Sono was requested to stand in for him. He soon gained fame for his all-round ability, dribbling and accurate passing skills. It was during this time that he was given the nickname of
Jomo (which means "burning spear") by an Orlando Pirates fan, who saw in him the same leadership qualities as those of
Jomo Kenyatta, the then president of
Kenya.
After he had accomplished everything that he set out to do at Orlando Pirates, Sono went to the
United States of America, where he played for the
Colorado Caribous and
New York Cosmos, where one of his team-mates was the legendary player
Pelé. He also played together with another South African soccer star of the time,
Kaizer Motaung, who went on to play for the
Atlanta Chiefs and later founded what is arguably South Africa's most famous club,
Kaizer Chiefs.
After his soccer career in the USA ended, Sono returned to South Africa, where he purchased the Highlands Park club in Johannesburg in
1982, renaming it
Jomo Cosmos in honour of his old team.
Under his ownership, the club went on to achieve several successes: it won the
National Soccer League in
1987, the
Bobsave Super Bowl in
1990, the
Cola Cola Cup in
2002 and the
Super Eight in
2003. Jomo Cosmos has also consistently finished among the top teams in the
South African Premier Soccer League.
Sono has also taken a leading role in discovering and developing new football talent, especially from rural areas. Some of the players whom Sono recruited and then went on to play for the
South African national team and European clubs include
Philemon Masinga,
Helman Mkhalele,
Sizwe Motaung and
Mark Fish. Indeed, his recruits formed the core of the South African squad that won the
1996 African Nations Cup; Sono was also a technical advisor to the team's head coach
Clive Barker during the tournament.
In
1998, Sono was appointed as caretaker coach of the
Bafana Bafana just before the
African Nations Cup tournament in
Burkina Faso in the place of
Philippe Troussier, who had been sacked just before the event. Under Sono, the team reached the final of the tournament, where they lost to Egypt. Taking the short time that he had to prepare with the team into account, it was considered a remarkable feat.
After a disappointing performance by the South African national squad during the
2002 African Nations Cup in
Mali, Sono was again appointed a technical director to the team. However, the head coach of the team at that time,
Carlos Queiróz, felt that his position was being undermined by this appointment and resigned. Sono was again appointed as caretaker coach, this time for the
2002 FIFA World Cup in
South Korea and
Japan.
During the
2002 Football World Cup, the South African squad did not progress beyond the first round; however, they did score five goals and achieved one win, one draw and a 3-2 loss against pre-tournament favourites
Spain. The South African captain,
Lucas Radebe, credited Sono with much of the team's performance, saying that he had instilled a good spirit within the team and that he had ensured a very positive atmosphere among the squad.
Sono is the longest-serving coach in the South African Premier League and also sits on the board of the Premier Soccer League. He has also built up a reputation as a successful businessman; in addition to making a substantial profit by developing players and selling them to European teams, he also owns a number of businesses and is a chairman of numerous companies.
He is married and has four children.
Sono was voted 49th in the
Top 100 Great South Africans in
2004.
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Jomo Cosmos Soccer Club Website
