Chronicle Editor
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
A LOVE affair with the world’s most beautiful game saw the late Nkululeko “Chunky” Dlodlo give up learning at the prestigious Thekwane High School in Matabeleland South’s Bulilima District where his family had taken him with the hope that he will one day become a university graduate.
Dlodlo, who died last Wednesday at the age of 50 went to Lotshe Primary School and Sobukhazi High School.
His family decided to upgrade him from Sobukhazi by sending him to Thekwane in 1987 but Dlodlo, who was already a Highlanders junior player at that time heard that Bosso would be sending a team to Aberdeen, Scotland as a way of celebrating the twinning arrangement between Bulawayo and the Scottish city so he devised a plan to return to the City of Kings.
Dlodlo returned to Sobukhazi which was not as high-status as Thekwane.
His cousin, Themba Nyathi said Dlodlo lied to his family that he had been expelled from Thekwane so that he could return to Bulawayo and be part of the Highlanders team that went to Scotland for two weeks.
“I got really angry when he was now at Thekwane, he heard that there was a Highlanders team going to Aberdeen to celebrate the twinning of Aberdeen and Bulawayo.
He absconded from school at Thekwane. He was already in the Highlanders juniors at that time.
He claimed that he had been expelled from Thekwane because of that trip to Scotland, he refused to be left behind.
“What pained me is that the Dlodlo family had taken him to an expensive school, we were expecting to have someone educated in the family.
We were looking forward to him getting a degree so that we have a graduate but he loved football.
At Thekwane, there was serious education, the students used to come out with flying colours. He was only at Thekwane for six months,’’ Nyathi narrated.
According to Nyathi, Nkululeko’s father, Themba Dlodlo, a renowned Brahman cattle breeder and accomplished academic at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) tried to get to the bottom of his son’s departure from Thekwane but at that time, the budding footballer had already flown to Scotland.
Nyathi and Dlodlo’s mothers were sisters so the two grew up together in Makokoba.
It was Nyathi who used to carry the then young Dlodlo to Makokoba’s 11th Street football ground.
“As he was growing up, he really loved football, I used to carry him on my shoulders to go watch football at the 11th Street soccer grounds.
We used to watch football together, when we got there he used to grab people’s soccer balls. He used to play football in the streets of Makokoba,’’ Nyathi reminisced.
Cosmas “Tsano” Zulu was part of the technical department led by renowned juniors coach Ali “Baba” Dube which went to the Aberdeen International Football Festival.
Sidney Zimunya, Henry Nyandoro (late), Thulani Gumede, Dampion Ngwenya, Abraham Mbambo, Nqobizitha Maenzanise (late), Makheyi Nyathi (late), Ronnie Jowa (late), Adam Ndlovu (late), Thulani Nxumalo, Mbonisi Mthombeni, Vusa Nkomazana, Nkululeko Dlodlo (late), Sijabuliso “Marembe” Ndiweni (late), Nhlanhla Sithole (late), Ernest Ncube were the players.
Zulu explained that the invite was for Highlanders, Eagles and Zimbabwe Saints but only Bosso could raise the funds.
Former High Court judge, Justice Siwanda Kennedy Sibanda, who also died last week was the head of delegation. Sibanda was the leader of Bulawayo Wanderers later to change its name to Eagles.
To Zulu, Dlodlo was much more astute than Adam but the latter was always deadly in front of goal.
“On that trip to Scotland, he was much cleverer than the late Adam, he used to put in clever passes.
Chunky was far much better than Adam but Adam was more deadly.
When we came back, there were so many good players, we had to loan out some players,’’ said Zulu.
Highlanders defeated Jets of Canada after extra time in the final. According to a report prepared by Zulu, Jets scored in the 10th minute and Dlodlo equalised with five minutes to go to fulltime after a lovely pass from Maenzanise.
In extra time, Dlodlo was brought down in the box to earn a penalty, which was converted by Maenzanise.
Dlodlo eventually made it into the Highlanders first team in 1987 together with the likes of Nyathi and Jowa.
Because of stiff competition at Highlanders where he faced stiff competition from Adam Ndlovu upfront, he went on loan to Eagles.
Dlodlo at the twilight of his career played for AmaZulu and Railstars.
He got both teams promoted to the Premier Soccer League.
According to Nyathi, the late former Highlanders coach, Barry Daka is the one who lured Dlodlo to Railstars when he was now coaching the now defunct National Railways of Zimbabwe owned team.
Thabani Sibanda, who played with Dlodlo at Highlanders juniors before the two linked up at AmaZulu and Railstars said his late friend was a good striker.
Sibanda, a former defender left Highlanders to pursue his career at Shu-Shine.
“He was a good striker, he was loaned to Eagles, he returned to Bosso but then Adam Ndlovu was hot those days so he joined us at AmaZulu. Competition was tight at Highlanders at that time, a lot of players left to join other teams.
“We started off at Highlanders juniors from Under-14, I left for Shu-Shine.
We reunited at AmaZulu in 1994, we got them promoted then we left for Railstars in 1997, we got the team promoted, that is when we started working at the NRZ,’’ said Sibanda.
Former Zimbabwe Warriors player, Alois Bunjira spoke glowingly about the late Dlodlo, a player he said made him want to watch Highlanders juniors.
“I didn’t play with him. He was an age group higher but I used to like him a lot and often made efforts to watch Highlanders juniors because of him,’’ said Bunjira.
Dlodlo represented Zimbabwe at Under-20 and Under-23. Some of Dlodlo’s former teammates in the national junior teams are Makwinji Soma-Phiri and Vitalis Takawira.
At the time of his death, Dlodlo was employed as a boiler maker at the NRZ.
Dlodlo was not married, his only son is also late and is survived by his parents.
He will be laid to rest at Lady Stanley Cemetery tomorrow or on Tuesday. — @Mdawini_29
Online Reporter