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{{Short description|South African soccer player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Use South African English|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Thabo Mngomeni
| image =
| fullname = 
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|6|24|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Langa, Cape Town|Langa]], [[Cape Town]]
| height = 
| currentclub = 
| clubnumber = 
| position = [[Midfielder]] 
| youthyears1 = 
| youthclubs1 = Bafana
| youthyears2 = 
| youthclubs2 = Umtata City
| youthyears3 = 
| youthclubs3 = [[Tembu Royals]]
| years1 = 1990–1994
| clubs1 = [[Cape Town Spurs]]
| caps1 = 67
| goals1 = 9
| years2 = 1993
| clubs2 = → D'Alberton Callies (loan)
| caps2 = 3
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 1994
| clubs3 = → [[Manning Rangers]] (loan)
| caps3 = 25
| goals3 = 1
| years4 = 1994–1998
| clubs4  = [[Umtata Bush Bucks]]
| caps4 = 95
| goals4 = 9
| years5 = 1998–2002
| clubs5 = [[Orlando Pirates]]
| caps5 = 86
| goals5 = 23
| years6 = 2002
| clubs6  = [[Hellenic FC|Hellenic]]
| nationalyears1 = 1998–2002
| nationalteam1 = [[South African national football team|South Africa]]
| nationalcaps1 = 37
| nationalgoals1 = 6
}}

'''Thabo Mngomeni''' (born 24 June 1969, [[Cape Town]], [[Western Cape]]) is a South African former [[Association football]] [[midfielder]].

After starting his professional career at [[Cape Town Spurs]] and having a brief spell at [[Manning Rangers]], Mngomeni became a household name in South Africa playing for [[Bush Bucks]] and [[Orlando Pirates]]. He also had a brief spell at [[Hellenic FC|Hellenic]] before retirement.

He played for [[South Africa national soccer team]] and was a participant at the [[2002 FIFA World Cup]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081017063418/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=4075/index.html Thabo Mngomeni Statistics] [[FIFA]]. Retrieved 22 January 2010.</ref>

==Cape Town Spurs==
He was recruited by former [[Kaizer Chiefs]], [[Cape Town Spurs]] and [[Hellenic FC|Hellenic]] player, [[Sergio Dos Santos]] from an [[Eastern Cape]] amateur team, [[Tembu Royals]]. He left Spurs after two loan deals claiming that his coach, [[Mich D'Avray]] "hated him with a passion and he didn't know why".<ref name="sowetanlive1">{{cite web|url=https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/sport/2012/07/19/legends-corner-thabo-mngomeni-the-proud-jahman |title=Legends Corner: Thabo Mngomeni the proud jahman |publisher=Sowetan LIVE |access-date=2013-11-18}}</ref>

==Umtata Bush Bucks==
He first heard of the doping test in 1996 when he was informed by club officials who were aware that he smoked [[marijuana]]. Since Mngomeni was a [[Rastafarian]] he only smoked [[marijuana]] during pre-season.<ref name="sowetanlive1"/>

==Orlando Pirates==
Mngomeni would play for Orlando Pirates between 1998 and 2002 and become the club captain, leading them to the league title in 2001. It was during this period that he also became a regular at national level, and was one of very few locally based players in the South Africa squad during that period.

==International career==
He made his debut for the national football side at 29 in a 1–0 victory over [[Angola]] in 1998.
All in all he played for the national team on 38 occasions, scoring six goals. He won the 2001 CAF Goal of the Year, for his bicycle kick against Congo.

==Retirement==
After joining [[Hellenic FC|Hellenic]] his career came to an end and he retired because of a knee injury at the age of 33.<ref name="sowetanlive1"/>

==After retirement==
He has coached at a number of [[Vodacom League]] teams in [[Cape Town]]. He completed his [[South African Football Association|SAFA]] Level 2 coaching course.<ref name="sowetanlive1"/>
In 2022, he launched the [[Thabo Mngomeni Foundation]], and has been coaching in the rural areas of the [[Eastern Cape]] province.

==Personal life==
He is the older brother of [[Thando Mngomeni]]. He is married and has five daughters. He lives in [[Eerste River]] in [[Cape Town]]<ref name="sowetanlive1"/>

==Career statistics==

===International goals===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
! # !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
|-
| 1. || 5 June 1999 || [[Kings Park Stadium]], [[Durban]], [[South Africa]] || {{fb|MRI}} || 2–0 || Win || [[2000 African Cup of Nations qualification|2000 African Cup of Nations qual.]]
|-
| 2. || 28 May 2000 || [[Ta' Qali National Stadium]], [[Ta' Qali]], [[Malta]] || {{fb|MLT}} || 0–1 || Win || [[Friendly match|Friendly]]
|-
| 3. || 7 June 2000 || [[Cotton Bowl (stadium)|Cotton Bowl]], [[Dallas]], [[Texas]], [[United States]] || {{fb|MEX}} || 4–2 || Loss || [[2000 U.S. Cup]]
|-
| 4. || 3 September 2000 || [[Stade Municipal (Pointe-Noire)|Stade Municipal]], [[Pointe Noire]], [[Republic of the Congo]] || {{fb|CGO}} || 1–2 || Win || [[2002 African Cup of Nations qualification|2002 African Cup of Nations qual.]]
|-
| 5. || 30 January 2002 || [[Stade Amare Daou]], [[Ségou]], [[Mali]] || {{fb|MAR}} || 3–1 || Win || [[2002 African Cup of Nations]]
|-
| 6. || 12 May 2002 || Kings Park Stadium, Durban, South Africa || {{fb|MAD}} || 1–0 || Win || Friendly
|-
| colspan="12"|<small>''Correct as of 9 March 2017''</small><ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zaf-intres2000.html South Africa – International Matches 1996-2000]</ref><ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zaf-intres2005.html South Africa – International Matches 2001-2005]</ref>
|-
|}

==See also==

* [[List of African association football families#South Africa|List of African association football families]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{NFT|6945|Thabo Mngomeni}}

{{South Africa Squad 2000 Africa Cup of Nations}}
{{South Africa Squad 2002 Africa Cup of Nations}}
{{South Africa squad 2002 FIFA World Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mngomeni, Thabo}}
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:South African Rastafarians]]
[[Category:South African men's soccer players]]
[[Category:2000 African Cup of Nations players]]
[[Category:2002 African Cup of Nations players]]
[[Category:2002 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:Orlando Pirates F.C. players]]
[[Category:Bush Bucks F.C. players]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:Soccer players from Cape Town]]
[[Category:Manning Rangers F.C. players]]
[[Category:Hellenic F.C. players]]
[[Category:South Africa men's international soccer players]]
[[Category:20th-century South African sportsmen]]