At the center of The Queenstown Kings, we have an estranged father, Buyile Mahamba, and his son, Fezile. The sports drama is as much about football as it is about the father-son relationship. The death of Buyile’s father brought him back to the small town to which he belonged. His father was a local football legend, and his death affected all the players he had trained over the years. Buyile was not there for his father during his final hours, and he tried his best to reach the funeral on time. Buyile was an alcoholic, and the police arrested him for crossing the speed limit and drunk driving. He had to spend the night in prison, and his wish of seeing his father one last time remained unfulfilled.
Spoiler Alert
Why was Fezile upset with Buyile?
Buyile was absent during Fezile’s childhood years, and he held a grudge against his father for it. His father had always been his reason for disappointment, and he was not ready to accept him. Fezile had grown up with his mother, Xoliswa, and her partner, Fana, and he had accepted them as his only family. Buyile left Xoliswa when she was pregnant with Fezile, and he never cared to check on his son ever after. Fezile grew up to become a brilliant footballer, and it was evident that he carried the Mahamba genes. Buyile’s mother, Sasa, decided it was time for Fezile to live with her and her son, but he was against the decision. Sasa believed Buyile would learn about his fatherly duties once he started to live with his son. Now that he had returned home, she was convinced that it was the perfect time to reunite the father and son.
Buyile tried to strike up a conversation with Fezile, but he was visibly irritated by his presence. As a father, he felt extremely proud to see his son play, and he realized that he had missed out on a lot while focusing on his career. After requesting the judge for a milder sentence, Buyile was ordered to do community service, and he took it upon himself to help the local football team, the Queenstown Kings. There was only one condition: Buyile had to abstain from alcohol and substances during the service period. Since Fana was the police officer who granted Buyile’s release from prison, he was asked by the judge to keep a close watch on Buyile to make sure that he followed the order. But soon after the court order, Buyile was found drinking at a club. Fezile was present there as well, and he was disgusted to watch his father make a fool of himself. The new players no longer respected Buyile, and it was difficult for him to accept it. When Fezile met Fana, he expressed his frustration at having to live under the same roof as his father. But Fana wanted Fezile to keep on trying, and he warned the young man that if he ever thought of running away, he would lose the opportunity to play football. Fana too was not fond of Buyile, but at the same time, he knew that Xoliswa wanted her son to connect with his father, so he chose not to get too involved.
How did Buyile mend his relationship with his son?
When Buyile watched the Queenstown Kings practice, he realized that the team had potential but needed to make certain changes to perform better. Fana was the team coach, and he did not appreciate Buyile’s sudden interference with his coaching method. Even though Buyile faced resistance, he was persistent about wanting to help the local kids. Buyile realized that his son was extremely talented, and he walked up to his room one night to have a one-on-one conversation. Fezile initially showed disinterest, but he could not deny that his father had more knowledge about the sport than him. Eventually, Fezile opened up to his father about his dream to enter the Nedbank Cup. Buyile was the current champion of the tournament, and he did not find his son’s dream ridiculous at all. Fezile’s teammates always joked about him dreaming of the impossible, but Buyile encouraged him to do so. Queenstown Kings had won the regional championship before, but they never entered the Nedbank Cup because they did not have the money required for registration. Buyile was impressed by his son’s achievements, and he decided to support his dream. But Fezile was not ready to take help from his father. Buyile had abandoned him, and he was not ready to accept his help all of a sudden. But Buyile did not give up. He traveled with the team to their next match, and his suggestions helped them score a goal. Fana admitted that Buyile’s presence would help the team, and he was offered the position of assistant coach.
Meanwhile, we find out in The Queenstown Kings that Buyile’s contract with the Mamelodi Sundowns team was not renewed after he failed the fitness test. This explained why coaching the young group of boys became important for the star football player. It was his only way to reconnect with his son and to also prove to the world that it was not the end of Buyile Mahamba. After Fana suffered a bullet injury, Buyile took up the role of coach, and he decided to sponsor the team to play at the Nedbank Cup. Fezile gradually started to trust his father, and his dedication to football motivated him all the more.
What convinced Fezile to join his team again?
With the money Buyile received after selling his Porsche, he bought jerseys for the team and arranged a plane to fly them to Johannesburg. Before leaving, he instilled confidence in the young players, making them realize that they must never consider themselves insignificant because they belonged to a small town; instead, they must hold their heads high and always act like kings. The football team was the only way to put their small town on the map, and their performance could make all the difference. After winning the preliminary round, Queenstown Kings headed to compete for the Nedbank Cup, and they were up against the renowned Mamelodi Sundowns.
Fezile was offered to join the Sundowns, but he rejected the offer to stay true to his team. Since he was the one who encouraged the team to play at the Nedbank Cup, he believed it would be unfair for him to leave at the last moment. The Sundowns tried to bribe him with money and a car, and as tantalizing as it was, Fezile chose not to accept the proposal. When he returned to his hotel room that night, he was shocked to find Major lying on the bathroom floor. Major read the acceptance letter sent by the Sundowns to Fezile, and he assumed that his friend had sold them off to the Sundowns. Fezile was frustrated to find that even after all the sacrifices he made, his teammate doubted his loyalty. He also wondered if he was making the right decision by giving up on a life-changing opportunity for people who were in no way close to as serious as he was about the sport. That night, Fezile packed his bags and left to join the Sundowns.
After finding out that his son had left the team, Buyile did not give up on the fight. He encouraged the team to not lose focus on the goal, and he changed his strategy accordingly. Boity advised Buyile to make amends with his son; after all, he was nothing but proud of Fezile’s achievement. At the end of the film, Buyile met Fezile and expressed how he and the entire team were proud of Fezile. After watching him work hard over the years, his teammates believed he deserved to be on the best team. Fezile did not expect the team and Buyile to take his departure this well, and he started to feel guilty for doubting them. The message they wrote on his t-shirt made Fezile emotional, and he made an unexpected decision in the end. He had yet to sign the agreement, and he decided that nothing would bring him more joy than playing for the Queenstown Kings. A few minutes before the match began, Fezile joined the team.
The Queenstown Kings‘ ending covers the final match between Sundowns and the Queenstown Kings. While we do not get to know the results, what matters in the end is that all the conflicts introduced in the film are resolved. The relationship between Buyile and Fezile was mended thanks to their mutual love for football. Fezile accepted Buyile as his father and proudly carried the weight of his surname, ‘Mahamba’, on his shoulders. Buyile learned what it took to be a father, and he was more than ready to be a better parent to his second child. The small-town team realized how important it was to dream big. At the end of The Queenstown Kings, Fezile learned that it was not just his growth that he cared about but that of the entire team.
