Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
ON Wednesday June 9, football legend Ernest “Maphepha” Sibanda received a surprise that brought tears to his eyes at St Pius in Njube where the Highlanders’ Class of 1998 honoured him for his works.
The brains behind honouring Sibanda while alive was former bulldozing striker Zenzo Moyo, who represented his peers alongside Gift Lunga (Junior).
Moyo announced that they were going to create the Ernest Maphepha Sibanda Junior Football Development Award with other former Bosso players.
The award will see clubs, whose youth development policy yields results, being honoured and scholarships being given to talented junior players.
The Bosso Class of ‘98 invited Bulawayo Mayor Solomon Mguni, his deputy Mlandu Ncube and Councillor Rodney Jele to deliver the news, which literally blew away Sibanda, as he couldn’t hold back his tears.
It was an emotional moment for the former Highlanders’ manager and chairman, who played a big role in “whipping” into line most of the “hard knocks” from the trailblazing Bosso squad that won four championships in a row between 1998 and 2002.
That his “boys” decided to honour him while alive, as they launched the Ernest Maphepha Sibanda Junior Football Development Award, thrilled their former manager.
His wish was to see all his boys on the day of the launch and relive the past glory days.
“I wish at the official launch of this legacy project, all those boys Biya, Mubariki Chisoni, Sautso Phiri and others will be around so that I remind them of their naughtiness and the good times we had,” Maphepha said.
Sadly, he has passed away without seeing his boys at the launch.
However, the launch of the award wasn’t a hoax, with Moyo’s relationship with Sibanda growing beyond player-manager to being friends and father and son.
From interactions with both Sibanda and Moyo, the two held each other dearly and always had each other’s backs.
“It is not a secret that we grew under the wings of Maphepha. The award was set up as a way of showing our appreciation. I’m happy he passed away knowing that we love him instead of stampeding on each other to pass moving condolences.
“It was deliberate that we chose to set up the Ernest Maphepha Sibanda Junior Football Development Award at St Pius Parish because as he said; without God we’re nothing and for this project to succeed we need God. We also know that there are factional wars in football, so by launching the Ernest Maphepha Sibanda Junior Football Development Award in a church, we know we’re protected by God and those who want to celebrate his life with us through the project are welcome,” Moyo said.
Sibanda was Bosso chairman when they won their last league championship in 2006.
But it was as manager of the trailblazing Bosso which won four league championships on the trot that Maphepha enjoyed much success.
Maphepha became a friend and a father figure to all the players as manager, as he went to their individual homes to check on them after training or after matches.
The players confided in him their personal problems because they trusted Maphepha to assist in solving them.
The fans also loved Maphepha, whose psychological ritual of being the first to enter a packed Barbourfields Stadium field and bounce the ball in the centre circle fired up the Bosso supporters.
Besides writing their own piece of history by winning four consecutive league titles, a feat only achieved by Dynamos, the Class of ‘98 also won several pieces of silverware.
And new stars in the form of Moyo, Ncube, Bekithemba Ndlovu, Tapuwa Kapini, Joel Luphahla, Noel Kaseke, Simon Sibanda, Alexander Phiri, Lunga Jnr, Chisoni, Amon Chimbalanga and Thabani Masawi, among others, were born.
Now that he has passed away, hopefully his boys will live up to their word and immortalise his name by making the award in his honour a reality and a success.
Online Reporter