Owen Da Gama bio: age, children, wife, parents, P.O.B, career, latest

Owen Da Gama bio: age, children, wife, parents, P.O.B, career, latest

Owen Da Gama has been in the professional football industry for most of his life. His career is one that is riddled with win after win, which is why he is considered one of the top PSL coaches. Where is he after the sudden sale of Highland Park? How old is Owen Da Gama? Find out this and more below.

Owen Da Gama net worth
The coach at a press conference. Photo: Nathaniels15
Source: Twitter

Owen Da Gama the Rubber Doll is a fearless coach who leaves every team he joins better than he found it. With a career of more than 30 years, the coach is one of the most respected South African coaches. Read about all the barriers he has broken and find out what ended his playing career abruptly.

Owen Da Gama profile

  • Date of birth: 18th August 1961
  • Owen Da Gama age: 59 years
  • Owen Da Gama place of birth: Volksrust, South Africa
  • Coaching licence: A Licence
  • Average term as coach: 2 years
  • Children: 7
  • Owen Da Gama nationality: South African
  • Nickname: Rubber Doll

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Owen Da Gama family

Where was Owen da Gama born? His grandfather is Portuguese, and his grandmother is muTsonga. His family comes from Makhuvha village in Venda; it is located just outside Thohoyandou. Owen da Gama parents, however, raised him in Pretoria.

However, his mother currently lives on a farm in Venda. You can see Owen Da Gama speaking Venda in some interviews. He is the only son in a family of three children; there is no Owen Da Gama brother. Owen da Gama wife has 3 sons in their marriage, but he has 4 other kids outside his marriage including Owen da Gama daughters.

Career

The prolific coach has had many opportunities to leave coaching for good, but everything that he tries never sticks. He has had a bakery shop, a café, a liquor store he was even in the business of selling cars. His passion for his job has brought him back to football every time.

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Owen Da Gama daughter
The early days of his career. Photo: SAFootyLegends
Source: Twitter

Playing career

In his early days of playing, Da Gama played for Arcadia Shepherds FC Juniors, then Colchester United, and the Pretoria Callies. Him and the Pretoria Callies Danish coach, the late Kai Johansson, made the next move together to the Dynamos, where he later signed a 3-year contract.

Ireland

From here he was loaned out to the League of Ireland team, Derry City. Within no time, he had already won the League of Ireland First Division Shield after scoring three goals in one game; he was also the top-scorer of the club and league. He was also named PFAI First Division Player of the 1985/1986 season and ended up making a permanent move. He was the only person to have a fan club in Ireland.

Simone Conley and Owen da Gama
His fan club at Derry City. Photo: FARPostZA
Source: Instagram

South Africa

In 1989, the Spanish First Division club Figueress snatched him up, but he declined to take a work permit because of the sports embargo by Spain on South Africa. Soon after, he was lured back home to play for Durban Leeds United. After this, he joined the Moroka Swallows which resulted in him being named player of the series. In 1990 in what seemed to be his peak, he was taken down by a knee injury while playing for the Dynamos.

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Coaching career

He is known for his attacking style of coaching, creating a strong defence and a keen eye for spotting young talent.

Owen Da Gama home language
The coach talking to an Orlando Pirates striker. Photo: KickOffMagazine
Source: Twitter

After his knee injury, Da Gama remained in the Dynamos as a coach taking the team from the 2nd last position to finishing in 3rd place. In 1996, the team won promotion to the Premier Soccer League. In 1998, he moved to the Silver Stars, currently the Platinum Stars. He coached the team to promotion from the Vodacom League to the National First Division. At the end of this season, he left coaching and went to concentrate on his business in Pretoria.

Coca Cola Cup

This hiatus did not last long, and in 2000, he went back to the Silver Stars, they won 9 out the total 11 matches they played. In the 2002/2003 season, they were promoted to the Premier Soccer League where they finished 11th place, and they reached the Coca Cola Cup final.

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Telkom Knockout Cup

By the end of the 2005/2006 season, he was named PSL coach of the season. In 2006, the Silver Stars won the Telkom Knockout Cup, and they finished second in the 2006/2007 league securing a spot at the CAF Champions League.

In 2007, he became the head coach of the Orlando Pirates but quit in June 2008. He then joined the Free State Stars but quit in October 2008. The next team he joined was Bloemfontein Celtic in December 2008. He resigned yet again in July 2010.

Owen Da Gama home language
The coach on the field with his players. Photo: KickOffMagazine
Source: Twitter

Alleged bribery

In August 2010, he went back to the Platinum Stars and led them to a 10th place finish. Tragedy struck when he was accused of soliciting bribes from players to pick them to play for the team. He was found innocent but soon after resigned from the team.

In November 2012, he joined the Dynamos and guided them to a series of wins but left the team after only 4 months. He then coached South Africa under 23 team, then the South African team and in 2017 officially joined Highlands Park.

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Latest on Owen Da Gama

What is the latest Owen Da Gama news? He has undoubtedly faced a major blow after losing a job that he loved so much. The coach is, however, making major moves. He has made it clear that he is not accepting half baked offers from clubs.

Simone Conley and Owen Da Gama
Da Gama at the Home Straight. Photo: Mosiwhitehead
Source: Twitter

Owen da Gama on Sundowns

The coaches words misconstrued to seem like he did not expect the Sundowns to win the 2019/2020 PSL Champions league. The Owen da Gama on Chiefs quote was that it would be good for South Africa if they won and had nothing to do with the ability of the Sundowns to take the crown.

After the sale of Highlands Park to Tim Sukazi of TS Galaxy in September 2020, the stern coach found himself jobless in the middle of a global pandemic.

I made the calculated decision not to pursue these dubious approaches from clubs that I would prefer not to name, and rather wait for something akin to the professional organisation I experienced at Highlands.

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Becoming a scout

In late November 2020, the coach was invited to Ghana on a scouting mission. He is known for his keen eye is spotting young talent that later becomes forces to reckon with in football. He is to identify and recommend new players to the PSL clubs.

The talented coach has supported all his teams and made them great in South African football. Even during his moment of uncertainty, he is still one of the greats.

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