adminLovemore Dube Sports Editor
CELEBRATED Highlanders Football Club hero, Silas Ndlovu has turned down the offer to coach Tennyson Hlabangana High School and his church team because of poor health. In an interview on Thursday, Ndlovu said he would soon be going to Canada for a medical check up. He said he has not been in good health since last year and would not risk by exposing himself to a strenuous schedule by taking a volunteer coaching job.
Ndlovu said soccer was part of his life and he would have loved to hand a helping hand to its development.
“I have been approached by my church to coach and Tennyson Hlabangana whom I have previously assisted to cluster champions.
“I turned down the offers, I like the game and would have loved to coach but my health is failing me. I should be going abroad for treatment soon,” said Ndlovu.
Ndlovu came on board the Highlanders ship in 1972 when the club was in the Second Division having been demoted in 1971. He had had a stint with Dynamos in Harare where he worked for the Post and Telecommunications Commission.
Ndlovu is credited with restructuring Highlanders, ensuring there is an executive, board and a coach who doubled as manager.
The response to that was the club winning the Chibuku Trophy in 1973, 3-0 against Mhangura and the regional league up to 1975. He was poised to win the national championship in 1976 when a decision to award Dynamos a walkover against Highlanders in the last match of the season at Barbourfields Stadium, gave the Harare side the silverware.
It had rained the whole week and Highlanders had sought a postponement and did not go to the venue on the day of the match. Dynamos travelled to Bulawayo and got a walkover decision forcing Highlanders to quit the league and helped found the South Zone Soccer League, one of the most exciting projects yet seen in local football.
Clubs from surrounding Matabeleland towns and centres including some from the Midlands joined the league with Ndlovu as general manager.
Ndlovu also coached Merlin Husky.
He was to rise to prominence again in 1990 at Highlanders. History was written when as chairman Bosso won the league and couple double which only Black Rhinos and Dynamos had to that date been the only teams to achieve that since 1980.
Highlanders won the Football Association Cup again in 1991.
Very few people have been as successful as Ndlovu at the club and for his turn around of what was just a village team to a nationally recognised brand in 1973, he would walk into the club Hall of Fame with ease.
Ndlovu and the late Morrison Sifelani attained their English FA coaching badges in 1975 and at the height of wars at Zifa soon after the ouster of Vincent Pamire, Njube Sundowns’ Joshua Mhizha used to insist that the two were capable of turning the fortunes of the local game.
Bosso chairman Peter Dube said he was saddened to hear about Ndlovu’s plight and would visit him with former club official Victor Mthimkhulu.
“We wish him a speedy recovery and we will visit him. He has been an outstanding star at Highlanders from the 1970s,” said Dube.
He was among the club’s invited guests who included former players and administrators at the team’s annual prize giving night in December.
Online Reporter