The Sunday News
Danisa Masuku
BORN in a family that loves soccer and passionately follows Highlanders FC, and having a brother who gave loyal service to the “family” team was enough to entice Kainot Luphahla to join the side.
Not only that, his association with the side was also spurred on by seeing Bosso squad camping at their family house in Mzilikazi in the ‘60s. He adds that he was part of the first Under-16 players that formed Highlanders juniors.
“When I joined Highlanders in 1966. There were no junior structures, after seeing the need, a former teacher named Oziya Khumalo formed the Under-16 squad. That was to be a solid foundation of the team. The senior team used to tap talent from the junior squad,” he says.
He played and shone in the front line, as a result senior coaches roped him into the reserve side. Due to his good displays in the frontline he earned two nick names Pongo or Kaizer Chiefs. Interestingly he grew up to love Kaizer Chiefs FC to the extent of being a staunch supporter of South African side.
To prove this during the interview he was wearing a replica cap and T-shirt of Kaizer Chiefs. After a brief stint with the reserve side he was catapulted into the senior team.
“In 1971 I broke into the senior team. I played alongside Lawrence Phiri who was a fearsome right back. Edward Dzowa was another great player. We also had Ananias Dube who was a goalkeeper par excellence, Zenzo Dabengwa and Boet Van Ays who formed a solid backline that many strikers in the country found very difficult to breach,” he said.
He sums up: Billy Sibanda and Raymond Makanda stamped their authority in the middle of the park making Highlanders a potent machine armed with limitless ammunition. The Silas Ndlovu-coached side proved their potency in the football scene and won the Chibuku Cup in 1973 after thrashing Mangula FC 3-0. That year turned out to be his most exhilarating and successful as he played an important role in helping the side land Chibuku Cup.
“That turned out to be my last league game in that season after we thrashed Mangula 3-0 in the Chibuku Cup final. After that I went back to ply my trade in the Bulawayo Amateur Football Association (Bafa) as I had suffered a hamstring injury,” he recounts.
He recuperated at Bafa side High City which had good players like Douglas “British” Mloyi, Builder Nyaruwata, Peter “Oxo” Nkomo, Augustine Lunga, Msitheli Sikhosana and Paul Tsumbe. He proved his worth at High City and made a grade in the Bulawayo squad — Red Army which competed with other squads from other provinces. The year 1975 was his crowning moment of glory as he was crowned Soccer Star of the Year at Bafa.
“1975 goes down as the best year for me as I was crowned Soccer Star of the Year while turning out for High City but sadly there was a paltry prize money to accompany the accolade,” he says with a glee.
When things were not working in favour of the club the elders of the team made appeasements.
“The elders of the team would come to our family house in Mzilikazi, an appeasement would be done, after that the team would return to its winning ways. At times they would come with a sangoma and make rituals to cast out the dark cloud hovering over the team,” he said.
With the problems bedevilling the club (Highlanders) at the moment he believes elders of the club (board) need to consult a sangoma. But the executive is a stumbling block to that!
“The executive does not want to take advice from people like us and they think they know it all as they do not want to consult the board members. At the moment things are not going well for the club but they do not want to consult a sangoma or appease the ancestors for I believe something is wrong or it could be the club was bewitched,” he says.
After a flirtation with High City in 1976, he made his return to Highlanders when they pulled out of the then elite league and formed the South Zone league.
According to respected former Highlanders midfield player Barry Daka, the bulk of Bosso players left and only four players remained. The four were Lawrence Phiri, Josiah Nxumalo, Douglas Mloyi and Tymon Mabaleka. As such Luphahla, the remaining four were joined by other players who have been credited with saving the club from sinking into oblivion after the massive player exodus to form Olympics FC which was coached by Daka.
Luphahla’s favourite squad was the class of 1978 which beat almost every team in the South Zone league. Although he admits Back Horrors gave them a difficult time.
The 1978 squad comprised of the likes of Douglas Mloyi, Peter “Oxo” Nkomo, Jonathan Moyo, “Willie Matholwane” Luphahla (Kainot’s young brother), Phenias Mabaleka and David Mhlanga. And they went on to light the football scene with football artistry and inimitable determination. After spending two years with the Highlanders senior team he retraced his footsteps to High City. He had wonderful spells with the outfit as they clinched a number of cups and had to call time on his football career in 1992.
Asked on what Highlanders and other Premiership teams should do to promote consistency in their squads, he, like many former players who have graced this column said: “The clubs need to invest more in junior structures because that is where the future of the team lies. As such there would be suitable replacement that is loyal and conversant with the culture of the club.”
