‘Yesteryear players have much to offer’

domestic football and should find a platform to turn their ideas into policy.
Ndlovu, who featured in a challenge match between coaches and former players from the Northern and Southern regions organised by the Soccer Coaches Union of Zimbabwe at Gwanzura yesterday, said the former players – most of whom are now in coaching positions – can contribute with their experience and technical expertise. The match finished 2-2.

“It is very important that as coaches and former players we should meet regularly and talk about problems facing our game and how we can contribute to its development,” said Ndlovu.
“We can only develop our game through talking and we hope to take up what we discuss as football coaches and former players with the football authorities.”
Ndlovu featured for the Southern Region team, which also had former Highlanders’ greats like Tobias Mudyambanje, Douglas Mloyi and Willard Mashinkila-Khumalo as well as former DeMbare defensive stalwart Angirai Chapo and ex Chapungu man Beavan Gwamure.

The Northern region side had familiar names like national team coach Norman Mapeza who partnered Dynamos’ Callisto Pasuwa in defence, CAPS United’s Lloyd Chitembwe, former Blue Ribbon mentor Misheck Chidzambwa, skipper Moses Chunga, Black Rhinos’ Nesbert Saruchera, Brenna Msiska, Stanley Chirambadare, Eric Aisam and Stanford “Stix” Mtizwa.
“Regardless of the age you could see that most of these guys still have the creativity, the touch and the football sense on the pitch but it’s only that they no longer have the legs to carry them.”They have a lot of knowledge to offer and I believe the youngsters who came here learnt a lot as well,” said Ndlovu.

“We had a great day and first and foremost we need to uphold the spirit of brotherhood and how football can unite and bring back the years of love and the spirit of yesteryear football,” said Ndlovu.
Over 100 coaches and former players turned up at the stadium yesterday and the other team played in a curtain raiser against the CID Serious Fraud Squad in a curtain raiser. The teams had the likes of Partson Ndabambi, Paul Chimalizeni, Tonderai Marume.

SCUZ interim president Chunga, whose organisation has virtually taken the scene by storm, said the event was a perfect opportunity for coaches to interact.
Chunga said the challenge games will be played twice every year and they are now planning for the return match to be played in Bulawayo on January 7.
“I think we achieved the objective to bring together football minds from as far as Bulawayo, Kwekwe and Gweru.

“The response at such short notice speaks for itself. Roughly there were over 100 participants and we want to make this an annual event.
“The idea is to establish the platform to interact and share ideas and to strengthen our relationships as coaches and former players. I believe it will even be bigger and better next year because we have a number of programmes and projects that we want to roll out,” said Chunga.

Mashinkila Khumalo, who is a committee member in the Southern region chapter said they were aiming at grassroots development in their area.
“We need to contribute something to the game. Some of us live for football and we feel we have something to offer.
“We have engaged our mayor in Southern Region to give us stadia to do our programs. Grassroots is the first port of call and we will sit down as a committee to chart the way forward,” said Mashinkila Khumalo.

The coaches have united to form a splinter group from the Zimbabwe Soccer Coaches Association and if the enthusiasm and massive turnout shown by the coaches yesterday is anything to go by then the Zisca leadership under Bheki Nyoni are in a for a tough remainder of their term.
Some veterans of the game like David George and Biggy Zuze may not have played yesterday but they were at Gwanzura in solidarity with their peers.