FORMER professional soccer star David Notoane is fast making a name for himself as a coach after guiding Mitchells Plain FC to the Safa Vodacom League national playoffs.

FORMER professional soccer star David Notoane is fast making a name for himself as a coach after guiding Mitchells Plain FC to the Safa Vodacom League national playoffs.

Mitchells Plain FC were crowned Western Cape champions last weekend, thus qualifying for the play-offs in Witbank from April 6 to 11.

"We won the league on the last day of the season. I still remember that sometime in January we were 12 points behind the log leaders," said Notoane.

"I kept on telling our boys that there was light at the end of the tunnel, we should keep on collecting maximum points and it worked at the end of the season. It is important for us to go into the National First Division League next season, our boys have the potential to compete at that level."

Mitchells Plain FC are the feeder team of Absa Premiership side Santos, where Notoane finally hung up his soccer boots. Notoane has also played for SuperSport United.

"We are getting ready for the playoffs but the problem is that we do not know some of the teams we will play against because of the protests and arbitrations," said Notoane.

Safa competitions director Balebetse Monnakgotla said all the nine provincial teams will feature in the playoffs where two teams will be promoted to the First Division.

"We will have two streams during the playoffs, one inland and the other coastal. It was also agreed that the Free State team will play in the coastal stream, because the First Division team from Free State is playing in the coastal stream."