The stadium that carries the name of Musina’s greatest son, Lesley Manyathela, now stands in ruins.
Renamed to honour ” Slow Poison ” who scored 48 goals in 73 games for Orlando Pirates, the Lesley Manyathela stadium in Nancefield is today vandalized, overgrown with weeds and forgotten.
The late Musina– born Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates striker, who put Musina on the Map, has a stadium that Musina abandoned.
Lesley Manyathela Stadium, once a beacon of hope for young footballers in Nancefield, is left to collapse under neglect, vandalism and broken promises.
For him, Limpopo leaders promised an Academy in Musina– to find the next Lesley. Today, where is Manyathela Academy? Same story: A name is unveiled, a budget is mentioned, then—- nothing.
Local residents say the stadium has been abandoned for years. ” We used to hold tournaments here every winter, kids from Musina came to play ” said one resident.
A true tribute to Lesley is not a tournament once a year, it is a boy from Musina playing under lights with boots that are not torn.
Musina produced a Golden Boot Winner that the whole league still honours by name.
If we can name the PSL Golden Boot after him, why can’t we keep his own stadium alive?
Lesley was not an accident. He was a product of a real soccer academy system. From Chelamoya FC in Musina, he went to Dynamos, and then into the famous Augusto Palacios Apprentice Academy at Orlando Pirates— the same academy that produced Benedict ” Tso” Vilakazi and Joseph ” Duku Duku ” Makhanya. Palacios himself says Lesley was one of his gems.