“They Said It Was Crazy”: How Mlungisi Msibi Built SA’s First Blind Football League

• Mlungisi Msibi turned a bold request from two blind boys into a national movement, launching South Africa’s first blind football league in 2025
• For two years, the team trained with no sponsors, no equipment, and no official backing,with just faith, donated balls, and pure determination
• In an exclusive interview with Briefly News, Msibi shared how he is now building pathways for blind South Africans to earn money as coaches, referees, and sports entrepreneurs

In 2021, two blind boys approached Jackie Mlungisi Msibi with an unusual request: could they play football? What started as a simple question has now become South Africa's first-ever blind football league, creating a movement that has inspired the nation.

“I didn’t know what blind football was. I thought they were joking,” Msibi tells Briefly News in an exclusive interview.

But after prayer, research, and soul searching, he approached the Johannesburg Society for the Blind with what he calls a “crazy” idea. The principal agreed; she thought it was crazy, too. But six players signed up, and from that small start, history was made.

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Before anyone even kicked a ball, Msibi began with stories.

“We started with ‘what’s your story’ before anyone even kicked a ball. This helped build trust and emotional connection within the team. Blind football is how we remind them they still have a dream. For me, it’s not just sport, it’s ministry, it’s a purpose," he said.

The first-ever national blind football league in South Africa

Today, South Africa has its first-ever national blind football league, launched on 7 June 2025, and Msibi is its pioneering coach and visionary.

But the road here wasn’t smooth. Msibi and his team trained for two years without sponsors, structured competition, or proper gear.

“We didn’t even have e-balls or protective masks. The governing bodies told us blind football doesn’t exist. But I knew this was a calling. Our faith was the anchor," he recalls.

International exposure at the BRICS Games in 2024

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Despite the odds, the team pushed on, relying on donated equipment and unwavering determination. By 2024, their efforts were rewarded when they were invited to the BRICS Games in Russia, where they represented South Africa.

“That trip changed everything. Suddenly, people across the country were inquiring about blind soccer. We had calls from Cape Town to Polokwane, everyone wanted to play,” he says.

Corinthians, the organisation behind it all

The result? A fast-growing movement, now with four provincial teams and plans for national expansion. At the heart of this growth is Corinthians Africa, the organisation Msibi founded in 2012, which now supports sports, STEM education, and even agricultural projects.

"Corinthians is the mother body. Without it, this league wouldn’t survive,” he says.

Watch the video below:

But Msibi’s dream stretches beyond the pitch. He wants to create economic opportunities for blind South Africans, not just as players, but as coaches, referees, kit makers, and administrators.

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“This mustn’t be a spectacle. It has to be an economy. Blind people can’t keep waiting for someone to come save them. This sport must give them power," he says.

Watch the video below:

For Msibi, who once dreamed of playing football professionally before an injury cut his career short, coaching the national blind team is redemption and purpose.

“I thought I’d play for my country. Now I’m coaching for it. That’s the calling.”

SA amateur football team goes viral for showboating goal

Briefly News had previously reported that a South African amateur football team wowed the crowd with exceptional showboating skills before scoring a goal.

During a township soccer tournament held in Pretoria, the team dazzled their opponents for two minutes with brilliant footballing tricks before finally finding the back of the net.

Source: Briefly News