Hlahla back to his roots

now back in the noble old profession, which he says, is bringing him better financial returns than football.
Hlahla has now dedicated his life to raising future academic stars.
The former Masvingo and Dynamos forward is spending his time at one of Harare’s private schools, Tynwald Primary.
Sevias Mujere, the Tynwald Primary School headmaster, said he was reluctant to engage the former striker when he came looking for a job.
“When he put in his papers applying for a job, it’s one of those cases when you are not very sure of and you ask if a footballer can translate into a good teacher,” said Mujere.
“So I made a decision to engage him in January 2011 and has been with us close to two years now.
“He is a very pleasant young man, very respectable, very easy to work with, as a teacher, yes,  having  been out of the field for some time, there are a few things that he needed to catch up with but he has made tremendous effort,
“I am quite happy with the way he has been carrying out his duties.
“He has taken charge of our football team and has worked very hard with our teams and we just lost one match.
“It’s down to his knowledge and expertise that our teams did well.”
Mujere said Hlahla was a true professional.
“Some people actually thought I had taken him just to be a football coach without realising that he has got all his papers, he is a qualified and experienced teacher,” said Mujere.
“Yes, it takes time for people to accept that footballers can be professionals in another field.
“There is a misconception that those who don’t make it in the class then go on to make in the field but this is not the case.
“I remember with Patrick Daka, who now runs a soccer academy in the States, when he came for a coaching clinic, he told the kids you need to take care of your education first and then you can do the sport part later.
“And here is a classic example of someone who has taken care of his education and I think he can serve as an example to the kids and other people that you can cross over from one area to another.”
Hlahla did his teaching diploma at Bondolfi Teachers College in 2000.
The teaching course was organised by his former club Masvingo United.
Club owner, Tanda Tavaruva, had a facility where his academically-gifted players, who had 5 O’ Levels, would be given a chance to enrol at the local teachers’ college with the club paying fees.
And this scheme saw former players such as Taurai Mangwiro and Maxwell Chambare benefitting.
Hlahla remembers those days when the College Select was just a strong side which went on to play in South Africa at the Colleges tournament.
The team featured players like More Moyo and Robson Chisango, coming from Kushinga Phikelela, while Walter Chuma was in Bulawayo.
Hlahla started his career at Kismet.
“When it folded in 1996, Masvingo United emerged and as a way of luring players to the club mudhara Mhunga introduced that policy as an incentive,” said Hlahla.
“And when I enrolled Tau (Mangwiro), who had gained promotion with Masvingo into the top-flight, was already at Bondolfi, a stream ahead of me.
“I remember we went to South Africa in 1998 to compete at a tournament for the colleges and our team was just a strong side with players such as Maxwell Chambare who is now in the States.”
After completing his diploma, Hlahla began to teach at Gokomere and taught there for six years, at the same time playing for Masvingo United.
However, the nomadic player, resigned from Government in 2006 and packed his bags for Botswana where he briefly played for Premiership side Botswana Meat Commission.
He returned home the following year to join Shooting Stars.
His first Premiership team was Dynamos when the striker was just a teenage boy at Mashoko High School in 1996.
The eagle eye of coach Sunday Chidzambwa picked him out as a promising talent and he came to Harare to play in the club’s juniors.
“I was supposed to go to Churchill as I was still in High School,” said Hlahla.
“And when I came to Harare to play for Dynamos I managed to play two games and I remember the first match it was the Independence Cup third and fourth place match and I played alongside Lloyd Mutasa, Peter Fanuel, Ian Gorowa and Chamu Musanhu.
“It failed to work out, it was my first time in the capital and I just couldn’t cope and the coach, who had scouted us at the Nash tournament, Sunday, had left the club and gone to Brazil and I returned to Masvingo.”
Interestingly, while his career started at the Glamour Boys, it also ended there in 2010, a year after he had joined DeMbare from Masvingo together with Milton Makopa and George Magariro.
“I didn’t want to leave but the way I was treated at the club, where I had signed a two-year contract, was not right as they were not paying their dues,” said Hlahla.
“I was frustrated and I asked myself why all these frustrations when I have got my professional certificates.
“I decided to go back to teaching and Government was going to be my last option.
“But being a DeMbare player helped me and I knew it would work in my favour and l applied for a place here and fortunately got the job.
“My life has really changed. I have played football for 18 years and I couldn’t afford to buy a car but I have been here for close to two years and I managed to buy a car just 11 months in my new job and I am now looking at buying a stand in Harare.
“Kids should know that you have to go to school and take it seriously but also take sport seriously.
“When you are playing football everyone would be rallying you but if you have a broken leg they will forget about you.”
The 35-year-old said when he started to teach again, it was a bit difficult to adjust after a lengthy lay-off. During the first days it was a bit difficult after getting used to waking up and going to training but I am now used and I have fitted into the system,” said Hlahla.
“Gokomere was a boarding school so the set-up is almost the same, so I didn’t need to learn many new things.”