Chronicle Editor
Lovemore Dube
FORMER Warriors manager and Highlanders FC chairman Ernest ‘Maphepha’ Sibanda’s tombstone was unveiled at Lady Stanley Cemetery this morning.
Sibanda died in Bulawayo two years ago.
Today on what would have been his 66th birthday the family deliberately chose the day to celebrate his life.
There was a church service presided by the Roman Catholic Church and the unveiling ceremony and later a meal which was to be followed by a friendly match between his former social football side Mthala and Ambassadors a team comprising of some of the players he managed at Bosso and senior national team.
Mthala veterans could not form a team and the family members ended up playing among themselves at Bulawayo Chiefs Village.
His nephew Fiona Ndlovu said: “Today we were gathered for his tombstone unveiling. It’s been two years, today it’s his birthday we selected this day for his memorial and tombstone unveiling.”
Ndlovu said family members had come from all over to celebrate the life of Sibanda a charismatic player, manager and chairman who played for Contex, Caps United, Highlanders and the senior national team.
Bongani Ndlovu