WATCH: Lady Stanley burial for Mboma

FORMER Highlanders striker Patrick ‘Mboma’ Mpofu will be laid to rest at the Lady Stanley Cemetery this morning.

The 39-year-old died in hospital on Monday having spent three three weeks at Mpilo.

His nephew Josphat Sibanda said the striker was recently diagnosed with meningitis.

Initially, the family had settled for the burial at Mvutshwa Cemetery before a change of his resting place to Lady Stanley after a request was made to the city fathers to have the player buried at Lady Stanley.

“We will have a church service at home from 8:30am before we depart for Lady Stanley at around 10:30 am. We would like to thank everyone who assisted the family in this difficult time,” said Sibanda.

Mpofu’s football career started off at Manyewu Primary School in Entumbane where he did his primary education between 1991 and 1997.

But it was at Entumbane Secondary School where his talent began to blossom as a defender because of his height and ability to overlap.

He was later to transform to a striker.

He joined the Zimbabwe Saints’ Under-13 side and graduated to the next age-group under the tutelage of the late Lazarus Zimangi, popularly known as Mukoma Juju. He later moved to AmaZulu.

In 2002, Mpofu left AmaZulu juniors for Border Strikers in Beitbridge and stayed in the border town for two years coached by the late Friday Phiri.

It was at Border Strikers that Mpofu developed into a better striker. Mpofu returned to Bulawayo in 2003 after getting a call from his nephew Josphat Sibanda, who was a Highlanders juniors’ goalkeeper.

He joined Bosso and became a key member of the Under-19 squad that had the likes of Graham Ncube, Nhlanhla Dube, Mbuso Mandiopera, Innocent Nyoni (former Black Mambas goalkeeper and midfielder), the late Sifiso Nketha, Obidiah Tarumbwa, Zephaniah Ngodzo, Marshall Machazane, Brighton Dube, Brighton Choto and Thomas Muketiwa.

In 2005, Highlanders first team coach Dick Chama and Madinda Ndlovu promoted Mpofu to the senior team.

And his winner in a 2-1 victory over a star-studded Caps United at Barbourfields Stadium made Mpofu an instant darling with the Bosso fans in the 2005 season.

-@innocentskizoe