Mike Mbambani expels five athletes from Ikamva for ill-discipline

The athletes dismissed include former national half-marathon champion Thabang Mosiako (28), national 5km champion Nicolas Seoposengwe (22), The Nelson Mandela Bay Cross Country Legacy Series winner Sinethemba Jilingisi (22), former Madibaz half-marathon champion Simon Sebeko (29), and Nelson Mandela Bay 10km legacy Series winner Cwenga Nose (23).

In an exclusive interview with SABC Sport, Mbambani, levelled several accusations against the athletes, singling out Mosiako as the most disappointing.

Mbambani accused the athletes of bringing women to camp and consuming alcohol in his absence.

The final straw came when they allegedly invited women to the camp while he was away with Team SA at the Olympics, where he was the head coach of the Marathon team leaving them stranded without money or shelter. 

READ: Glenrose Xaba moves one step closer to reclaiming her Grand Prix title

“I am beyond disappointed with the expelled athletes; it’s hard to put into words. All the kindness, hard work, and dedication I’ve invested in them feels wasted. I treated them like my own children and did everything I could to support them. Yet, they repaid me by breaking the rules—bringing alcohol and women into the mix,” Mbambani said.

“Thabang was the worst, constantly drinking and defying the rules. I warned Nicolas about his excessive drinking, and he eventually tested positive. Thabang, though, was the biggest issue. He took advantage of my kindness and led others into reckless drinking.

‘When I was in Paris, I received videos of them—five athletes—partying in Ikamva colours, and later I heard they called a cab to bring girls back to camp. The disrespect is unimaginable,” Mbambani expressed his frustration.

"We’ve been supporting these athletes in so many ways—providing transport, 32Gi nutrition, sponsorship from Nike SA, groceries, physiotherapy, flights, accommodation for competitions, and personal guidance for each of them. But I’ve been dealing with dishonesty. Thabang, for example, faked an injury just to avoid running the Cape Town Marathon,” the coach added.

“He likes to play the victim, but the reality is different. He even took my wife’s car without permission, went on a drinking spree, and crashed it. I covered for him like a parent would, but his attitude has become extremely frustrating. That’s how bad the situation has gotten," Mbambani explained to the national broadcaster.