Ngodzo tournament date set

THE inaugural edition of the Johannes Ngodzo football tournament will take place on December 27 at the Makokoba 11th Street grounds and Mzilikazi Primary School.

Four teams will take part in the tournament aimed at giving young footballers in the city exposure.

The teams set to take part are Ali Baba Football Foundation Academy, Mzilikazi, Entumbane Stars and Real Stars.

They will all provide Under-13 and Under-15 teams with premier league teams also invited to watch the action.

Ngodzo says preparations for the tournament are at an advanced stage.

“Everything is going according to plan. Personally, l am excited to have the first tournament under my name. This is me giving back to football. I was spotted as a youngster playing in tournaments of this kind and it is only fair that l give the upcoming stars the same opportunity l received as a young man. My dream is to have the next big thing in local football and international football is born from this competition,” said Ngodzo.

He says he intends to make the tournament an annual event.

“We are not stopping this year. We want to have the competition each year at around this time of the year. The dream is to see the tournament grow into a national event,” said Ngodzo.

Ngodzo, a former Warriors midfielder rose to fame through the Highlanders junior ranks at the turn of the millennium, he was selected into the national select side and it was at that age that the awards started coming.

He was awarded Player of the Year at the age of 15 with the Highlanders juniors that had played the whole season without tasting defeat in the 1995 season.

They were coached by veteran Ali Baba Dube who has been credited for identifying the best talent in Bulawayo.

Ngodzo won many accolades during his career, including second runner-up in the 2002 Soccer Star of the Year, Highlanders Player of the Year, Grizzlers Sizzlers Player of the Month, and several league titles with Highlanders.

Ngodzo’s world came crashing down on July 5 2003 when the Warriors played in an Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against Eritrea and he picked up an injury.

Ngodzo said he never regained full fitness after the injury and despite returning after a long layoff in 2004, he was never the same.

-@innocentskizoe