| Intro | South African football manager |
| Was |
Sports official Athlete Football player Association football player Association football manager |
| From | South Africa |
| Type | Sports |
| Gender | male |
| Birth |
1 January 1937, Johannesburg, City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, Gauteng, South Africa |
| Death |
27 November 2011, Bloemfontein, Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, Free State, South Africa |
April “Styles” Phumo (1937 – 27 November 2011) was a South African football player and coach. He was nicknamed “Styles.”
Early life
April Phumo was born in Johannesburg, in 1937.
Playing career
He was a squad member of the South African national team prior to the 1966 FIFA World Cup; the team was banned from competing due to apartheid.
Coaching career
Club sides
Phumo managed Arsenal (Maseru) of Lesotho, leading them to “several league titles and an unexpected place in the last 16 of the African Champions Cup in 1990.” He later managed South African club sides Ria Stars, Bloemfontein Celtic, Nathi Lions and Atlie.
Phumo spent a brief spell as manager of United FC during 2009, helping the club gain promotion to South Africa’s National First Division.
National sides
Phumo was the first ever manager of the Lesotho national team. Phumo began coaching Lesotho in 1979 and received a FIFA coaching diploma in 1981.
Phumo was involved with the South African men’s senior team for a number of years. He was assistant to Trott Moloto and the 2000 African Cup of Nations, before a spell with Ria Stars.
In July 2002, Phumo returned as national team assistant to Ephraim Mashaba. When Mashaba was sacked in January 2004, Phumo became temporary manager, taking control of the national team at the 2004 African Cup of Nations. Phumo also managed the South African men’s under-20, men’s under-23 and women’s senior national teams.
Death
Phumo died of cancer on 27 November 2011, aged 74, at a hospital in Bloemfontein.