Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
HIS love for athletics turned into frustration when he was still a young man.
Politics in the sport and injury were the major factors that made him fall out of love with the sport. He wanted out and that led him to try football and it worked.
That shift was to later pay off for Siphambaniso Dube when he formed Ajax Hotspurs, a football project that has produced an impressive number of talents in the game,
“I started doing sports in school and I was more into athletics and a bit into football when I was in High School,” said Dube.
“In athletics, I was in the class of celebrated sprinters Gabriel Chikomo, Juma Phiri, Themba Ncube, Philip Nkomane, Julius Maswanise, Mtshumayeli Dube, Ronald Chiverera and Amkela Gwebu.
“I really enjoyed duels in athletics with those guys. The intense competition among us on the track was something else.”
Dube remembers his old days at Cyrene High school. He was a triple jumper as well as a 400m runner.
“Most of the people that went to Cyrene High School at the time will recall the duel between Tumelo Ndlovu and me. We competed with other schools like Mzingwane High School. That was the highlight of my athletics career. It gave me that satisfaction. I continued with club athletics well after high school.
“In 1995 I was in the provisional squad for the All-Africa Games in triple jump. I had done well in that particular season and I was meant to go into camp and I lost my grandfather during that time of camp and I was also writing my A-level and ended up missing camp and did not go to the games.
“In any case, it was always going to be difficult with Ndabezihle Mdlongwa who was doing well at that time. I later joined Sprinters Academy. I got injured while doing the triple jump. I eased a bit on athletics, I was at college at this stage,” he said.
When the Hotspurs idea popped, Dube was a teacher and school team coach at Foundation College in 2001. Since then, the Mpopoma-based side has had a hand in shaping some of the country’s notable stars. He nurtured the likes of Sifiso Nketha and Gilbert Banda.
With some gentle encouragement from Message Ncube, Dube tried to have his school team incorporated in the National Association of Secondary School Heads (Nash) competitions, in particular the prestigious Copa Coca-Cola tournament.
He wanted to ensure he exposed his players to many opportunities.
The request was turned down by Cuthbert Chiromo, the then Nash head of soccer. The rules did not permit Foundation College to take part as it was not a Government learning institution.
Giving up was not an option for Dube. He badly wanted his boys to play competitive football.
All this was before he had endured frustration in athletics.
He chose football at Foundation College and never looked back. Hotspurs was to spring up to a football club that was a force to reckon in football development.
Dube recalled how they took Khumbulani Banda from Railstars after he was rejected as a 16-year-old due to his diminutive stature.
The left-footed Banda was to shine at Ajax as a striker before he found his way back to Railstars and later turned out for Dynamos, Highlanders and South Africa’s Maritzburg United.
Dube’s club has produced stars that have featured in the Caf Champions League and some in the national team. Top on the list is Divine Lunga who is now with South African side, Lamontville Golden Arrows.
Others include Chrispen Machisi (Bulawayo City ), Peter Muduhwa (Highlanders) and Denzel Khumalo at Chicken Inn.
Many of Ajax’s products are making names for themselves in the Premier League and Division One teams. Gift Gumpo and Corey Eli Black, Mbongeni Lindelwe Ndlovu and Reward Muza are with Highlanders, Clement Veremu and Kelly Shiyandindi are at Hwange FC.
Former Bosso player Hillary Madzivanyika was their first export, moving to Botswana’s Orapa in 2004. The player also played for Botswana Meat Commission and returned to turn out for Bosso.
— @innocentskizoe
Online Reporter