Celebrating living legends

IT HAD TO HAPPEN SOME DAY.
SOMEONE, somewhere had to do it.
It did not have to be a mega show, but the idea was the most important.
On a cool Friday afternoon, Ali “Baba” Dube, Alfred “Ngedla” Phiri, Cosmas Zulu, Gibson Homela, Lawrence Phiri and Silas Ndlovu were celebrated by the Zimbabwe Soccer Coaches Association (Bulawayo Province).

Probably for lack of resources as the coaches boss Joseph Nkomazana said, the event took place at the Bulawayo Zifa provincial and regional offices, but that it was at the home of the game, was a fitting tribute to six fine men who have been at the heart of the game with great successes.
An event attended by the coaches’ body, a number of budding young coaches, including Highlanders’ Danny Ngwenya, Siza Khoza, and Noel Cele, legendary Madinda Ndlovu, Ministry of Sport’s Isaiah Mpofu, Sport and Recreation’s Sam Dzvimbu, and Zifa Southern Region’s boss Lloyd Munhanga, presented the coaches with gift packs.
The arrival of Alfred “Ngedla” Phiri surprised the legends as the former Black Chiefs and South Zone Soccer League midfield maestro had shunned public life upon retirement. Some said they were meeting him for the first time in almost four decades and were surprised that he was still in Zimbabwe.
While the rest were present, Lawrence Phiri could not make it as he was with his family in Botswana and was represented by Madinda.
There was a strong feeling from the speeches of Dzvimbu, Munhanga, Nkomazana and Mpofu that there is a need to honour legends while they still live.
They spoke strongly about glorified speeches at graveyards yet in life the person was forgotten. They emphasised the need for the Hall of Fame concepts to be adopted in recognition of the legacies of yesteryear heroes.
In his address, Zisca chairman Nkomazana said: “We gather here to appreciate the good works of our Soccer Living Soccer Legends. I want to pay particular gratitude to our football stakeholder Zifa for allowing Zisca to use their office to hold this historical event. We have managed to get a token of appreciation to honour our living soccer legends despite this difficult situation.
Football is a passion and an inspiration. We would like to thank all the living soccer legends for their incredible and special role they played in inspiring our youngsters who have scaled to greater heights making our nation proud.”

Nkomazana said football is a unifier and that it was necessary to create an environment through collective success to unite the nation.
SRC’s Dzvimbu challenged the coaches’ body not to stop there but to go all the way and continue honouring legends.
“You must not end here, you must continue and have more of these,” said Dzvimbu.
He said the legends have an important role to play in communities as they are an inspiration and good elementary level trainers as they are able to demonstrate skills.
Who are the yesteryear greats who were honoured?
Gibson Homela: He was born in the Midlands Province and grew up in Lower Gweru before his family moved to Shurugwi. By the time he completed his primary school education, the athletic Homela was already a popular footballer in his village who played with bigger boys and outperformed them.
Homela attended Fletcher High School from Form One to Six where he established himself as a striker playing alongside the legendary William Sibanda and Alick Mwanza and the trio would at the formation of the national football league be enticed to join a Zimbabwe Saints then Mashonaland United that had the late Peter Nemapare and politician and medical doctor Herbert Ushewokunze among its leaders.
He became one of the most influential players at the club and up to his retirement at 35 in 1982, forced by an injury from an accident that nearly wiped out a majority of players who became the corner stone of the side that won the 1988 championship.
Homela partnered the legendary Bobby Chalmers in the national team attack in the final qualifier for the 1970 World Cup finals in a match twice replayed against Australia in 1969.
He would within the next 12 months switch to defence at Saints disappointed that he was scoring goals but the defence was leaky rendering his contributions minimal.
Homela made it to the Soccer Stars of the Year calendar and went on to win several medals like the Chibuku Trophy, BAT Rosebowl, Nyore Nyore Cup and the regional league title in 1979.

At Independence in 1980 Homela made his debut for a new Zimbabwe and played alongside Raphael Phiri, Frank Mkanga, Sunday Chidzambwa, Ephert Lungu, Charles Sibanda, Hamid Dhana, Tymon Mabaleka, Rodrick Simwanza, David Muchineripi, David Mandigora, George Rollo, Bethal Salis and would upon years after retirement be appointed Zifa technical director and received training in Germany.
He has on several instances coached the Under-23 and senior national teams with relative success.
Ali Dube: With an array of stars; Peter Ndlovu, Adam Ndlovu, Madinda Ndlovu, Ronnie Jowa, Mpumelelo Dzowa, Willard Khumalo, Makheyi Nyathi, Siza Khoza, Makwinji Soma-Phiri, Godfrey Paradza, Noel Cele, Sydney Zimunya, Ernest Ncube, Nkululeko Dlodlo, Thando Dzowa, Abraham Senda, Babs Ncube, CB Mahlangu, Summer Ncube, Isaac Riyano, Gift Lunga (Snr), Dampion Ngwenya, Benjani Mwaruwari, Dumisani Ngulube, Netsai Moyo, Nqobani Ncube, Vusa Nkomazana, Nqobizitha Maenzanise, Chris Zulu, Musa Masango, Simba Rusike, a majority of whom were part of several junior national teams and the Warriors, he is undoubtedly one of the most successful junior coaches in the land. He, however, has not received his flowers for the sterling job he has done with both the national association and Highlanders failing even to land him an honorary post.
Dube tried his hand at playing. He was a centre-back but an injury and early interest in junior development had him opt to coach starting in 1973 as a replacement to Mackenzie Duli Sibanda a man who held many positions at Highlanders.

Cosmas Zulu: He landed in Bulawayo in 1967 and boasts of 57 years in the game with his football career having started at 4.15 pm one July afternoon in 1967. He was introduced as a substitute for Combined Midlands who played in the amateur ranks but a year and some months later, he was signed by Bushbucks owned by Ushewokunze and his pace and hard shots at goal earned him a move to Eastlands and he would go on to play for Olympics, Zimbabwe Saints and Highlanders.
Bosso fans of the early 1980s did not see much of him as he was banned from playing in 1982 after his team protested a Dynamos goal in a match watched by President Canaan Banana and then Prime Minister Robert Mugabe. Zulu was at the centre and expected his teammate Tymon Mabaleka to come to the centre and other guys taking their positions for the restart, with Frank Valdermarca the referee for the day blowing his whistle and Zulu remaining at the centre without kicking it forward, the match was abandoned.
Having embarrassed the political leadership, Zifa came hard on Zulu.
Highlanders did not hesitate to appoint him assistant to Scot Bobby Clark in 1983.
They groomed a lot of players especially the generation that had Summer Ncube, Mercedes Sibanda, Khumalo, Zimunya and Netsai Moyo who alongside Madinda who was promoted from the juniors in 1979, before making his break after Doughty Sithole’s departure in 1980, who went on to be national team players.
Zulu also coached Railstars, AmaZulu and Ngezi Platinum. But as a coach most of his medals came from working under Barry Daka and Roy Barreto. He has coached some goalkeepers to national acclaim and Peter Nkomo and Nelson Chadya are some of his products.
Alfred “Ngedla” Phiri: Once upon a time, Highlanders got disillusioned with the manner they were being treated by John Madzima and his national association league and decided to form the South Zone Soccer League which made its debut in 1977.
Alfred played for predominantly Matshobana suburb side Black Chiefs. He was a tall and very skilful midfielder, perfect with his high ball control, passing, dribbling and shooting. He was a high temperament match player who was gentleman on and off the pitch. He made several appearances for the regional select alongside Onias Musana, Greg Fassen, Majuta Mpofu, Doughty Sithole, Danny Mahaso, Thomas Chipembere, Zebron Magorimbo and the Bonzaier brothers Neil and Richard.
It is a mystery why he did not play for Olympics, Highlanders, Bulawayo Wanderers and Zimbabwe Saints, the biggest city teams of that era.
Lawrence Phiri: During his career that started around 1966 when he joined the first recognised set of Highlanders juniors, he played almost every position in the club and went on to be a successful manager winning every trophy the country had on offer from 1980 to 1993.

At over two metres, Lawrence was among the tallest players in the country and used that to his advantage. He was good at timing his runs, tackles and sliding and is respected at Bosso for choosing to stay on when Barry Daka, Ephraim Moloi, Chutika Tembo, Itai Chieza, Sebastian Sibanda, Isaac Mafaro and Ananias Dube dumped Highlanders to form Olympics at the beginning of 1977.
Billy Sibanda, Willy Luphahla, Douglas Mloyi, Josiah Nxumalo and Majuta Mpofu were the senior players who stayed behind with Phiri as Bosso went on a rebuilding exercise.
His accolades include the Chibuku Trophy in 1973, regional titles in 1973-75, South Zone title, 1980 Chibuku Trophy and the 1974 national league play off.
He also excelled in Botswana with Notwane where he was manager with Paul Moyo as coach and Fabian Zulu an instrumental cog in the playing staff as they won the league title and other tournaments.
Silas Ndlovu: He is a former Highlanders goalkeeper so good that in the 1950s, Bosso would send a vehicle to fetch him from Dadaya Mission near Zvishavane where he was a pupil.
He was the first player from Highlanders to move to Dynamos. This was in 1963 when both Highlanders and Dynamos agreed that any player moving from either city would train or play for the other. Ndlovu had moved to train and work as a postal clerk at the Harare Main Post Office.
On his return he rejoined Highlanders and was part of the relegated team from the national league in 1971 where it is said Bosso finished with seven points.

In 1972 he replaced player/coach Chris Mhlanga and guided Highlanders to its first tournament win a 3-0 win over a very strong Mangula (Mhangura) side that had the likes of Alex Masanjala, Philemon Phiri, Lovemore Nyabeze, Booker Muchenu and the Chieza brothers.
Ndlovu guided Highlanders to the league title play-off win in 1974 and had runners up medals in 1973 and 1975 and also in the Castle Cup and Chibuku Trophy in 1974.
He could not beat Zimbabwe Saints in the Bulawayo Chibuku Trophy derby played at Rufaro Stadium in which Homela was the catalyst flying in secretly on a Thursday from the UK where he was studying and scoring two of the four goals with another brace from Max Tshuma. Highlanders lost 4-0.
Ndlovu became the South Zone Soccer League general manager in 1977 showing his magic touch again after he had also managed to create relations between local clubs and South African sides like Moroka Swallows, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
He was behind taking most of the stars that went to play in South Africa before Independence.
In 1989 he returned as interim chairman of Bosso and would be substantive boss the following year winning the league and cup double and was chairman when Peter Ndlovu left in 1991 for Coventry.
Organisers of the event said this was just the beginning of many events to honour local legends.
The Bulawayo event happened a day after Moses Chunga and radio and television personality Charles Mabika were reportedly given cars by businessman, Wicknell Chivhayo.