peter
Noel Munzabwa, Sports Correspondent
ZIMBABWE football coaching protégé Samkeliso Paradzai Ncube just cannot stop dreaming big at New York-based Pathfinder Football.
He is widening his dream and target towards the Major League Soccer after capping an unbeaten promotion from the UPSL Division One to the UPSL Premier Division.
Having braved their hearts to a rally from behind Premiership season opening 2-1 triumph over New York Bravehearts SC last Saturday, Ncube now believes that major MLS dream is possible and will be praying to chalk up a second consecutive win when then they travel to New York Renegades FC at Cantiague Park on Saturday.
Last week Pathfinder FC had to find their way back after falling to a Johan Velez seventh minute strike with Thomas Zimmer drawing level on the half hour mark before Kevin Cordoba Chaverra winner three minutes shy of the half-time sealed the winning points for Ncube’s side. In an interview from his base, the meteoric rising coach believes they are ready.
“We’re ready for the challenge in the UPSL Premier Division, last season, we played very well in the UPSL Division 1, and Pathfinder FC went on to finish the season unbeaten, we saw the club book a ticket to play in the UPSL Premier Division.
I really want to thank my technical team and the players for the job well done throughout the season, for us Pathfinder FC it was not an easy journey and even for me as a manager it was tough but all the credit goes to the boys, they had to quickly adjust to my philosophy which saw us winning games.
“My main objective is to get this club promoted to MLS, whether it’s tomorrow or day after tomorrow I’m confident that I will see it happen soon. The lads had four points to master which were the ball, the space, the opponent, and their own teammates. Every time we had good movements happening in relation to these points, it saw us winning.
Now, our focus has shifted to the new league, and we are going to take it one game at a time,” said Ncube who is affectionately known as Young Pep.
It would seem Ncube’s impact in his second year after joining the US outfit from FC Malaga has earned Pathfinder the unbeaten tag now becoming the second barrel surname as most of their development side which the Zimbabwe born coach works with finished the last season without defeat.
Born in Harare, Ncube grew up at Chikurubi Support Unit camp where his father was a police officer and he started playing football at a young age but during the run got injured but for the love of the game, pursued his dream to become a coach.
It all happened in good faith when he got his first coaching licence when he was at Black Mambas with John Toto Ncube who helped him through his experience but later moved to Twalumba and worked with Wilson Mutekede, Mike Madzivanyika and Gift “Umbro” Muzadzi. That’s where the nickname Young Pep started when the owner of Twalumba, the late Nkululeko Sibanda coined the Young Pep nickname.
Ncube then moved to Caps/Gunners Development side with Darlington Dodo, Ikabort Masocha, Stewart Murisa and James Matola. Ncube then relocated to South Africa where he became assistant coach to Backlyfield Chivenga who taught and imparted a lot of things and guidance to the young coach.
Anyone who really thought the sky was the limit may better get this limitless lesson from Ncube, whose Spanish move to FC Malaga City all but carved open a switch to the United States. Ncube, who probably became the first-ever Zimbabwe soccer coach to grind his expertise in Spain, joins a growing list of the country’s football technical luminaries to coach in the US among them Charles Mhlauri, Methembe “Mayor” Ndlovu and Thulani “Biya” Ncube.
His stint at FC Malaga City saw the Spanish side getting promoted to the Division de Honor after winning the lower strata, something Ncube cherishes as the crescendo to his career which also had a touch from John Toto Ncube at police side Black Mambas.
Follow on Twitter @NoelMunzabwa
Online Reporter