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Owen Da Gama
Owen Da Gama (born 18 August 1961) is a South African former footballer and manager, who most recently managed Botswana side Black Lions until December 2025.
Born in Volksrust, Da Gama began his playing career with Arcadia Shepherds F.C. Juniors u15, Colchester United (NPSL), Pretoria Callies and Dynamos where he moved to with Pretoria Callies Danish coach, the late Kai Johansson. Johansson and Dan Manuel arranged for trials at Belgian club Beerschot in 1985, where he signed a three-year deal.
Soon after, he was loaned out to League of Ireland team Derry City for the 1985–86 season. During his time at Derry City, he won the League of Ireland First Division Shield where he scored a hat trick in the final and the League of Ireland First Division where he was top goal scorer of the club and league. Da Gama was also named the PFAI First Division Player of the Year for the 1985–86 season and made a permanent move. Da Gama was the only player in Ireland with his own Fan Club.
He was than snapped up in 1989 by Spanish First Division Club Figueres. He was refused a work permit due to the Sports Embargo by the Spanish government on all South Africans. Da Gama was lured back to South Africa by the wealthy club owner Errol Hughes of Leeds United as player/coach where Leeds escaped relegation and went on to the BOBSAVE semi finals against Orlando Pirates in 1989 which Leeds lost on penalties.
At the end of that season Da Gama was signed by Moroka Swallows a move orchestrated by Abdul Bhamjee and David Pine Chabeli. He scored two goals and assisted in two more in a 5–1 victory against Mamelodi Sundowns in the 1989 Bob Save Super Bowl final replay and was named as Player of the Series. Swallows went on to win the Top Eight the following season as well as retaining the Bob Save Super Bowl in 1990. Some references being made as the best Swallows team ever.
Da Gama ended his playing career due to a serious knee injury while with Dynamos with whom he won the JPS Cup in 1990.
Da Gama began coaching at his former club Dynamos with whom he had two spells. Firstly in 1992 under a Venda-based Consortium he took the club from second bottom position to finish third on the log. His second spell was with the new owner Peter Rabali when the club won promotion to the Premier Soccer League in 1996. He moved to Silver Stars in 1998, guiding them to promotion from the Vodacom League to the National First Division at the first attempt. He was forced to leave the club at the end of that season in order to attend to his IT business in Pretoria. During this time, he coached and co-owned PSM Parkhurst in the Vodacom League and the club finished second on the log and formed part of the new Gauteng Vodacom League.
In 2000, Da Gama rejoined Silver Stars for a second spell, with the team choosing to train in Johannesburg and only travel to Venda for their matches. Under his management, the team won 9 of their 11 matches and avoided relegation from the National First Division. In the 2003 ABSA Cup, Silver Stars famously beat Orlando Pirates 2–0 in the second-round before losing to Jomo Cosmos in the quarter-finals. Silver Stars achieved promotion to the Premier Soccer League at the end of the 2002–03 season. The club achieved an 11th-place finish in their debut campaign in the PSL and reached the Coca-Cola Cup Final, losing 2–0 to Kaizer Chiefs. He was named as PSL Coach of the Season at the end of the 2005–06 season. Da Gama led Silver Stars to victory in the 2006 Telkom Knockout Cup with Simba Marumo scoring a first-half hat-trick in a 3–1 win against Ajax Cape Town at the Atteridgeville Super Stadium. In the 2006–07 season, Silver Stars finished 2nd in the league and managed to achieve a place in the 2008 CAF Champions League.
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Owen Da Gama
Owen Da Gama (born 18 August 1961) is a South African former footballer and manager, who most recently managed Botswana side Black Lions until December 2025.
Born in Volksrust, Da Gama began his playing career with Arcadia Shepherds F.C. Juniors u15, Colchester United (NPSL), Pretoria Callies and Dynamos where he moved to with Pretoria Callies Danish coach, the late Kai Johansson. Johansson and Dan Manuel arranged for trials at Belgian club Beerschot in 1985, where he signed a three-year deal.
Soon after, he was loaned out to League of Ireland team Derry City for the 1985–86 season. During his time at Derry City, he won the League of Ireland First Division Shield where he scored a hat trick in the final and the League of Ireland First Division where he was top goal scorer of the club and league. Da Gama was also named the PFAI First Division Player of the Year for the 1985–86 season and made a permanent move. Da Gama was the only player in Ireland with his own Fan Club.
He was than snapped up in 1989 by Spanish First Division Club Figueres. He was refused a work permit due to the Sports Embargo by the Spanish government on all South Africans. Da Gama was lured back to South Africa by the wealthy club owner Errol Hughes of Leeds United as player/coach where Leeds escaped relegation and went on to the BOBSAVE semi finals against Orlando Pirates in 1989 which Leeds lost on penalties.
At the end of that season Da Gama was signed by Moroka Swallows a move orchestrated by Abdul Bhamjee and David Pine Chabeli. He scored two goals and assisted in two more in a 5–1 victory against Mamelodi Sundowns in the 1989 Bob Save Super Bowl final replay and was named as Player of the Series. Swallows went on to win the Top Eight the following season as well as retaining the Bob Save Super Bowl in 1990. Some references being made as the best Swallows team ever.
Da Gama ended his playing career due to a serious knee injury while with Dynamos with whom he won the JPS Cup in 1990.
Da Gama began coaching at his former club Dynamos with whom he had two spells. Firstly in 1992 under a Venda-based Consortium he took the club from second bottom position to finish third on the log. His second spell was with the new owner Peter Rabali when the club won promotion to the Premier Soccer League in 1996. He moved to Silver Stars in 1998, guiding them to promotion from the Vodacom League to the National First Division at the first attempt. He was forced to leave the club at the end of that season in order to attend to his IT business in Pretoria. During this time, he coached and co-owned PSM Parkhurst in the Vodacom League and the club finished second on the log and formed part of the new Gauteng Vodacom League.
In 2000, Da Gama rejoined Silver Stars for a second spell, with the team choosing to train in Johannesburg and only travel to Venda for their matches. Under his management, the team won 9 of their 11 matches and avoided relegation from the National First Division. In the 2003 ABSA Cup, Silver Stars famously beat Orlando Pirates 2–0 in the second-round before losing to Jomo Cosmos in the quarter-finals. Silver Stars achieved promotion to the Premier Soccer League at the end of the 2002–03 season. The club achieved an 11th-place finish in their debut campaign in the PSL and reached the Coca-Cola Cup Final, losing 2–0 to Kaizer Chiefs. He was named as PSL Coach of the Season at the end of the 2005–06 season. Da Gama led Silver Stars to victory in the 2006 Telkom Knockout Cup with Simba Marumo scoring a first-half hat-trick in a 3–1 win against Ajax Cape Town at the Atteridgeville Super Stadium. In the 2006–07 season, Silver Stars finished 2nd in the league and managed to achieve a place in the 2008 CAF Champions League.