Online Reporter
Fungai Muderere
TALK about a quick turnaround!
Just days after walking away from FC Platinum, Joel Luphahla has landed himself another big job and it is a familiar one.
The former Warriors player is back at TelOne, the very club he famously guided to Premier Soccer League promotion in 2018.
For Luphahla, it is a remarkable return. One minute he was closing the chapter on his FC Platinum spell in Zvishavane; a few days later, he was being unveiled as the new man in charge at a TelOne side desperately looking for a change of fortunes.
TelOne confirmed the appointment on Tuesday, handing Luphahla the job with immediate effect after parting ways with Saul Chaminuka.
“TelOne Football Club has appointed Joel Luphahla as their new head coach with immediate effect,” the club announced.
And just like that, Luphahla is back where his coaching journey made one of its biggest early statements.
In 2018, he guided TelOne to the Central Region Division One championship and secured the club’s promotion into the country’s top-flight league.
It was a memorable achievement and one that quickly put his coaching credentials on the map.
Ironically, Luphahla did not take charge of TelOne in their first PSL season. Jairos Tapera subsequently assumed the head-coaching responsibilities as the club adjusted its technical structure to meet coaching qualification requirements.
Luphahla moved on, taking his coaching journey through Golden Eagles and Highlanders, where he served as an assistant before getting an opportunity to lead the Bulawayo giants on an interim basis.
But it was at Simba Bhora where his reputation as a head coach really grew.
He guided Simba Bhora to an impressive third-place finish in the 2025 PSL season, a performance that earned him the FC Platinum job.
His stay in Zvishavane,however, proved short-lived.
Luphahla and FC Platinum mutually agreed to part ways last month, bringing an end to his stint at one of the country’s established top-flight clubs.
Many would have expected him to take some time out.
Instead, Luphahla has barely had time to put his bags down before another PSL dugout came calling.
And this time, the mission is completely different.
Back in 2018, he was the man taking TelOne towards the promised land of top-flight football.
Now, he returns as the man expected to keep them there. TelOne are struggling near the bottom of the PSL table and need an immediate turnaround. There will be no honeymoon period for their returning hero.
In fact, there is hardly any time to settle in. His first major assignment is already waiting.
TelOne are due to face Dynamos in the Chibuku Super Cup this weekend, meaning Luphahla has only a handful of training sessions to get his ideas across and prepare his players for one of the biggest names in Zimbabwean football.
He is expected to begin work with the squad immediately.
From promotion hero to survival specialist, that is the new chapter awaiting Luphahla.
And there is something almost poetic about his return.
He left TelOne after helping them climb into the PSL. Now, years later, the same club has called him back when they need someone to pull them away from danger.
For TelOne supporters, the hope will be that the man who once took them up can now stop them from going down.
For Luphahla, meanwhile, this is another opportunity to prove that his coaching career still has plenty of mileage left.
A few days after saying goodbye to FC Platinum, Joel Luphahla has a new home.
And it is a home he knows very well. —@FungaiMuderere
