Chronicle Editor
STANFORD Stix M’tizwa is probably one of the most outstanding players of the decade 1980-89.
He shone for both country and clubs as an exciting and intelligent midfielder whose ball control, vision, passing and shooting mesmerised the opposition and got fans and players from opponents to like him.
Perhaps the only thing he could not do to the ball was to make it talk. He was exemplary in behaviour on the field and rarely got into the referee’s books and there must have been something people saw in Mlungisi Ndebele for people to call him “Stikee” the nickname M’tizwa was given by the legendary soccer commentator the late Evans Mambara in adoration of the midfield generation who played for the Young Warriors and Warriors and was the foundation of attacks for Caps United and Black Rhinos, two clubs he led to league and cup triumphs in a career that got a big “lift” with the 1979 Chibuku Trophy triumph over a very good Zimbabwe Saints.
He views it as an honour to have been nicknamed after one of Zimbabwe’s greatest midfielder M’tizwa.
Born at Pelandaba Clinic in Bulawayo on June 29, 1977, Ndebele went to Mhali Primary School in Magwegwe.
He started playing football in the streets of Magwegwe, home to many great footballers of the past that include Boy Ndlovu, Benjani Mwaruwari, Timile Ncube, Itai and Thabani Masawi.
He cut his teeth at Young Blood, a Magwegwe based junior development project that churned out a number of players who went on to dominate in Division One and the Premiership.
From Mhali he moved to Magwegwe Secondary School, an institution that gave Benjani Mwaruwari, Dumaza Dube and Douglas Mloyi the chance to explore and grow in the beautiful game as teenagers.
“I played for Young Blood juniors at Magwegwe West and two of my friends Busani Masina and Percy Moyo introduced me to Zimbabwe Saints. That is when Gibson Homela selected me to play in the first Peter Ndlovu Youth Soccer Festival. I played well and Homela went on to pick me for the first team alongside the likes of the late Howard Mago,” said Ndebele.
He remembers his Magwegwe knocking out Mzilikazi High School in a tournament to represent Matabeleland North in a national final in Kadoma.
He was outstanding in the Peter Ndlovu Tournament and remembers the blinder he played against Highlanders which he believes could have impressed Homela a lot as the former Rhodesia, Zimbabwe Saints and Warriors who has always been brave to give unknown quantities a chance.
Ndebele said among the most outstanding juniors of his era were Thabani Moyo, Melusi Ndebele, Master Masiku, Sikhumbuzo Banda and Themba Ncube.
“So my professional football career started in 1993 at Zimbabwe Saints,” said Ndebele.
Making his debut in 1993 at the club, Ndebele had other agemates who were emerging like Ronald Sibanda, Chipo Tsodzo, Dumisani Dube, Henry Ndlovu, Matambanashe Sibanda, Lloyd Jowa who joined veterans Dave Sibanda, John Sibanda and Chris Kahwema who had had a number of seasons with the first team.
Saints looked like good work in progress with a youthful side who many believed would be the team to beat in the late 1990s, but the injury and ultimate death of chairman Canaan Muguti and lack of funding destroyed what many believe was the last of the Saints.
After the dismantling of these guys’ Zimbabwe Saints, only nostalgia has kept the hope of resuscitation.
He was playing with a majority of the guys he had played with in the junior league and clubs and was as good at home as anyone at Chikwata at that time.
Ndebele was small in stature gifted with workrate, good passer, dribbler and the never-say-die spirit. Small as he was on the field, he was feared for his mischievous tough tackles and when he chose to be serious with his game, he could go for matches and months without the bad boy image.
He may not have played for a Zimbabwe Saints team that won things, but Ndebele earned himself space among the very best to put on the blue and white strip by playing for the Zimbabwe Under-20s, Under-23s and the senior national team with a fair degree of success at a time when there was real competition and meritocracy in team selection.
There were no agents to influence things. One had to be outstanding on the field of play to earn a slot in the first team of a club and the bar was even higher for national teams.
His crowning moment was in a national Under-23s inspired Warriors team that won the 2000 Cosafa Cup, the very first time Zimbabwe did so.
He was with the likes of Kaitano Tembo, Thulani Ncube, Benjani Mwaruwari, Dazzy Kapenya, Nqobizitha Ncube, Master Masiku, Luke Petros-Jukulile, Kallisto Pasuwa and George Mandizvidza.
The rise in fame also had its fair attractions off football as he became a father at 23 to his daughter Melisha.
With Highlanders FC dominating the league, AmaZulu having all the money, Ndebele could not sit by and stick to Chikwata for the fun of it, he joined Delma Lupepe’s high spending side in 2000.
He would go on to play alongside some very talented footballers of that era, Herbert Dick, Misheck Makota, Dominic Sithole, Farai Kahembe, Norman Komani, Mulenga Chewe, Patrick Daka, Taurayi Makukukutu, Richard March, Mkhuphali Masuku, David Mkandawire, Muzondiwa Mugadza, Ronald Sibanda, Golding Dube, Nkosana Gumbo and Goodson Dolola.
AmaZulu played some breathtaking football. They had all the motivation and Ndebele appeared to fit like a hand in glove, giving the number of coaches who took turns to coach the club several options.
In 2003 Ndebele spent a season in Albania. It was soon after war had ended in that country and the region and situation was still very hostile to foreigners especially Africans.
He played for Naftari FC and stuck to his day time job at In Sport.
He joined the great trek to Mzansi in 2010 and played for lower division side Denfern FC in Fourways. “I could not stay away from the game since it is my first love.
Ndebele had his second kid in 2017 with the love of his life Pat Mbali and he relocated to the UK three months ago.
He considers the 1998 season his best as an individual as his stock and confidence had risen and he could count himself among the “big boys” of the league with weekly appearances in the first team alongside Ronald Sibanda in midfield.
At AmaZulu he believes he had a great 2001 season in which they were runners-up to Highlanders FC in the league race.
His Zimbabwe Saints X1 – Muzondiwa Mugadza, Butholezwe Mahachi, Solani Hlomulo, Chris Kahwema, Dumisani Dube, Howard Mago, Nkosana Gumbo, Makreza Navaya, Chipo Tsodzo, Eugene Langa, Lloyd Jowa.
Career Highlights:
Under-20 10 caps
Under-23 18 caps
Warriors eight (8) caps
1996 Independence Cup runners-up
1997 Independence Cup runners-up
1998 Castle Cup runners-up
1996 Zimbabwe Saints Most Disciplined Player
2000 Cosafa Castle Cup winner
2001 League runner-up
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu