WATCH: Johannes Ngodzo from star player to nurturing future stars

HE could have been the greatest midfielder the country has ever seen! But his career was cut short by a cruel injury that robbed him of his prime. Fans and sports writers were always in awe of his brilliance, but no single word could capture his amazing talent. He had a plethora of nicknames that reflected his dazzling artistry on the pitch. Tshisa, General, Yoh, and Signature are some of the names that fans chanted.

Johannes Ngodzo, a former Warriors midfielder, emerged from the Highlanders junior ranks at the dawn of the millennium. He was crowned Player of the Year at the age of 15 with the invincible Highlanders juniors who went unbeaten in the 1995 season. They were mentored by veteran Ali Baba Dube who has a knack for spotting the best talent in Bulawayo.

Ngodzo collected many awards 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.

His penetrating passes, that often tore apart defences and set up strikers for easy goals, drew crowds to the stadiums. Ngodzo was a world-class talent and loyal fans never stop talking about how he seemed to have magnets on his feet that enabled him to control the ball with ease.
Ngodzo’s world came tumbling down on July 5, 2003 when the Warriors played in an Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against Eritrea and he sustained an injury. From then on Ngodzo’s career was never the same.

He has since dedicated himself to helping young players make a name for themselves. Ngodzo has initiated the Johannes Ngodzo Football Tournament which was successfully held in Makokoba this past weekend.

“My friends helped me a lot in this tournament and I’m grateful to them. I came up with this tournament because this is whereI started. My advice to you youngsters is this journey is going to be difficult but one thing for sure is you must not lose hope. I can guarantee you that there will be challenges but never give up.

“Most of the people who are said to have the ability never reach their potential but those who have a big heart go far. You guys are the future which is why I came up with this idea. We as former players must be there for you because we came through this road, we must not just let you guys lose the path. My friends said I should come up with this tournament. The goal was for you guys to enjoy and I think you guys did enjoy,” said Ngodzo.

Ngodzo was impressed with the talent on display at his inaugural juniors’ football tournament played at Makokoba 11th Street Ground over two days. The tournament featured budding players in the Under-13 and Under-15 age groups. On Wednesday, the Under-13 kicked off the event before the Under-15 age group wrapped up the festivities on Thursday.

Four teams competed in both age groups of the tournament namely Entumbane Stars, Ali Baba FC, Real Stars, and the eventual winners Mzilikazi FC who won in both age groups. On their way to clinching the top spot in the Under-13 category, Mzilikazi won 3-1 against Entumbane Stars before they thrashed Ali Baba 0-4. In their final match, they won 1-0 against Mzilikazi FC.

Mzilikazi were also dominant in the Under-15 category where they won 4-1 against Entumbane before winning 3-0 against Ali Baba FC. They finished their games with a 3-1 win over Real Stars.

“I am pleased the inaugural edition has been done successfully. Now the goal is to have a bigger and better tournament next year. I was impressed with the talent exhibited by the youngsters, particularly in the Under-13 category. My word to them is to work hard and be disciplined which is the key to becoming a successful footballer,” said Ngodzo.

Several former players attended the tournament including Zenzo Moyo, Noel Cele, Fortune Fokoza Ncube and Gift Lunga Junior.

Results

Under-13: Entumbane Stars 1-3 Mzilikazi, Ali Baba 0-7 Real Stars, Mzilikazi 4-0 Ali Baba, Entumbane 4-0 Ali Baba, Entumbane 2-4 Real Stars, Ali Baba 2-1 Entumbane, and Real Stars 0-1 Mzilikazi

Under-15: Mzilikazi 4-1 Entumbane, Ali Baba 0-6 Real Stars, Mzilikazi 3-0 Ali Baba, Entumbane 1-4 Real Stars, Ali Baba 4-2 Entumbane, Real Stars 1-3 Mzilikazi — @innocentskizoe