The life of David Bright
Correspondent | Friday January 29, 2021 15:47
Bright grew up in Modibane ward in Mochudi before migrating, in 1963, to Mahalapye with his father, a passionate farmer. He did his primary education at Tamocha and St Patrick’s Mission and completed his Standard 7 in 1971. He proceeded to do his secondary education at Madiba Senior Secondary School in Mahalapye between 1972 and 1976.
After completing his studies, Bright joined the army and was appointed Recruit Instructor in 1977. He was a founding member of a football club called BDF Gaborone aka Ndlama in 1978.
Bright attained his Diploma in Coaching under the auspices of German Football Association in 1978. He then coached Sebele United in 1983, Platoon Commander C in 1986 while at BDF and was transferred to Selebi-Phikwe.
He was appointed assistant coach at BDF XI and transferred to SSKB. The following year, he coached Tlokweng United and was appointed BDF XI coach in 1991.
He completed his Intermediate Coaching Course in 1991 and Advanced Coaching Level in 1992. Bright was appointed Mogoditshane Fighters head coach in 1992 and was promoted to Platoon Commander ‘E’ at BDF in the same year. He took Fighters to the Super League in 1992, but the team was relegated in 1993.
Bright was appointed national Under-20 team assistant coach in 1993 before he was elevated to assist the senior team coach between 1995 and 1998.
He helped Fighters gain promotion to the Super League in 1996, the same year he completed his High Level Coaching Course in Brazil. In the army, he was promoted to Officer Commanding Aquatic Company in 1997 before rising further to Officer Commanding Military Police in 1998. He was Zebras assistant coach to German Karl-Heinz Marotzkeat in 1998.
He won, amongst others, the league title, President’s Day Cup, Coca-Cola Cup, Botswana Life Cup between 1999 and 2001 with Mogoditshane Fighters.
Bright took charge of the Zebras between 1999 and 2005 and won the Four Nations Kings Millennium Tournament in Swaziland with the national team in 2000.
He retired from the army, holding the rank of major in 2005 after 28 years of service.
He joined Uniao Flamingo Santos as head coach in 2006, and between 2007 and 2008, he was in charge of the Under-23 side. He won the Four Nations tournament with the junior Zebras side in China in 2007.
He moved to South Africa in 2008, where he joined Engen Santos before taking charge of Bay United from 2009 to 2011.
Bright returned home to join Gaborone United in 2010 before a brief stint in South Africa saw him coach FC Cape Town and Black Leopards.
In 2016, he was at Morupule Wanderers as technical advisor. ‘Fakude’ was appointed Zebras coach between 2017 and 2019 for his final stint. He coached Holy Ghost in the First Division in 2019 and 2020. At the time of his death, Bright had been appointed coach for Premiership debutants, Sua Flamingoes. Bright married Lenah Sennye in 1994. He was a member of the Roman Catholic Church. He is survived by five children Mogomotsi, Theo, Peo, Matlhogonolo and Kgosi, and two grandchildren.
MOLEFHI OBENNE*
*Molefhi Obenne is the author of Botswana Football: A Fool’s Paradise, a book which also chronicles David Bright’s football journey