The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
WHEN the history of the Copa Coca-Cola, the country’s most prestigious schools football tournament is written, it cannot be complete without the mention of Bulawayo as well as Mzilikazi High School. It was in Bulawayo, at Gifford High School to be precise where the first Copa Coca-Cola competition was held way back in August 1989. Mzilikazi defeated Manunure 3-0 in the final, with goals for the Bulawayo school coming from the legendary Peter Ndlovu, Gift Banda and the late Benjamin Nkonjera.
The late Vice-President, Joshua Nkomo, then Senior Minister in the President’s Office presented the prizes for the inaugural Copa Coca-Cola.
Mzilikazi went on to win Copa Coca-Cola again in 1993, 1999 and 2001 which makes them, together with Hippo Valley and Churchill the most successful schools in the competition. Hippo Valley and Churchill have also been champions of Copa Coca-Cola four times. With Copa Coca-Cola now a global brand as it is being played over 60 countries, it therefore made sense for the trophy to be brought to Mzilikazi. Last Wednesday, the Copa Coca-Cola trophy made a return to its original home when it was paraded at Mzilikazi High.
Coca-Cola senior brand manager, Vee Chibanda said with the tournament in its 30th edition this year, it only made sense to bring the trophy to Mzilikazi as the inaugural winners of the competition.
“We are here to talk about the journey that Coca-Cola has travelled for the past 30 years since 1989, we are now in our 30th edition. As we celebrate this milestone, we have found it prudent to pay a courtesy call to your school. Mzilikazi High School is a special school where we trace our roots,’’ Chibanda said.
She went on to hand over textbooks to acting Bulawayo provincial education director secondary and non-formal education Thabani Sibanda as well as the school’s headmaster Bhekokuhle Dube.
Delta Beverages regional sales manager south, Thembiso Muzvagwa also handed over some of the books to Dube.
Even though Mzilikazi, a school that produced probably the best ever player in Peter Ndlovu have not won the tournament in more than a decade, they have not stopped producing talented players.
The headmaster, Dube gave a long list of those who have come out of Mzilikazi in recent years and are playing locally and internationally.
Kudakwashe Mahachi (Orlando Pirates), Teenage Hadebe (Kaizer Chiefs), Highlanders quartet of Godfrey Makaruse, Andrew Mbeba, Darlington Munkuli, Charlton Siamalonga, FC Platinum quartet of Lawrence Mhlanga, Kevin Moyo, Elvis Moyo, Crybet Mazarura, Shadreck Nyahwa (Bulawayo Chiefs), Wandile Ndlovu (Chicken Inn), are all recent products of Mzilikazi.
Nyahwa was the last Mzilikazi captain to guide the Bulawayo school to the Copa Coca-Cola national finals in 2014.
He made his Castle Lager Premier Soccer League, having made his PSL debut with Bantu Rovers last season.
Mzilikazi won all the four Copa Coca-Cola titles when Cuthbert Chiromo was headmaster. It was befitting that when the Copa Coca-Cola trophy made its return to the school, Chiromo was one of the invited guests. He was headmaster of Mzilikazi from 1985 until the end of 2002.
Chiromo, now headmaster at St Thomas Aquinas described the 18 years he spent at Mzilikazi as the most productive in his career in education.
“I feel great, looking at these kids here and realising that I was here for 18 years which from the happiness I enjoyed then it was not like 18 years but 18 months. Those were the most fruitful years of my career in education and I do consider myself as a part and parcel of Mzilikazi High School,’’ Chiromo said.
He said what delighted him the most was that Coca-Cola now recognise the fact that the sportspersons need the academic books, which he said will play a huge part in increasing the pass rate at Mzilikazi.
“I feel happy that Coca-Cola have diverted, they are now realising the other part of education, not only sport like what used to happen before. Coca-Cola for this long have been emphasising on only sport, not academic, now they are bringing these books realising that the life of a person, the sporting side is only up to at most 30 to 35 years, after that you need to use your head,’’ he said.
Johannes Ngodzo, a winner of Copa Coca-Cola with Mzilikazi in 1999 was also present together with Castro Ndebele, winner of the competition in 2001. Ngodzo said Copa Coca-Cola played a huge part in his career since he got to play against the best players in the country at the time.
“Copa Coca-Cola played a big role in my career because when you play in Copa Coca-Cola you go and meet the best teams in Zimbabwe so you go there and compete with the best players. It gave us a good platform. For Mzilikazi to be recognised for winning Copa Coca-Cola four times I think we are happy to be part of that team, I am the happiest guy here,’’ Ngodzo said.
National Association of Secondary Heads vice-president Arthur Maphosa, Nash head in charge of football Albert Mucheka as well as the Bulawayo leadership graced the occasion.
Sadly Mzilikazi will not be part of this year’s national finals to be played in Zvishavane from 12 to 14 July as they failed to progress to the Bulawayo provincial tournament to be staged at Gifford on 29 June. Ngodzo, now a juniors coach at Bulawayo City has committed himself to assisting his former school reclaim their lost glory by offering free coaching next year.
Mzilikazi won all the four Copa Coca-Cola titles when Cuthbert Chiromo was headmaster. It was befitting that when the Copa Coca-Cola trophy made its return to the school, Chiromo was one of the invited guests. He was headmaster of Mzilikazi from 1985 until the end of 2002.
Chiromo, now headmaster at St Thomas Aquinas described the 18 years he spent at Mzilikazi as the most productive in his career in education.
“I feel great, looking at these kids here and realising that I was here for 18 years which from the happiness I enjoyed then it was not like 18 years but 18 months. Those were the most fruitful years of my career in education and I do consider myself as a part and parcel of Mzilikazi High School,’’ Chiromo said.
He said what delighted him the most was that Coca-Cola now recognise the fact that the sportspersons need the academic books, which he said will play a huge part in increasing the pass rate at Mzilikazi.
“I feel happy that Coca-Cola have diverted, they are now realising the other part of education, not only sport like what used to happen before. Coca-Cola for this long have been emphasising on only sport, not academic, now they are bringing these books realising that the life of a person, the sporting side is only up to at most 30 to 35 years, after that you need to use your head,’’ he said.
Johannes Ngodzo, a winner of Copa Coca-Cola with Mzilikazi in 1999 was also present together with Castro Ndebele, winner of the competition in 2001. Ngodzo said Copa Coca-Cola played a huge part in his career since he got to play against the best players in the country at the time.
“Copa Coca-Cola played a big role in my career because when you play in Copa Coca-Cola you go and meet the best teams in Zimbabwe so you go there and compete with the best players. It gave us a good platform. For Mzilikazi to be recognised for winning Copa Coca-Cola four times I think we are happy to be part of that team, I am the happiest guy here,’’ Ngodzo said.
National Association of Secondary Heads vice-president Arthur Maphosa, Nash head in charge of football Albert Mucheka as well as the Bulawayo leadership graced the occasion.
Sadly Mzilikazi will not be part of this year’s national finals to be played in Zvishavane from 12 to 14 July as they failed to progress to the Bulawayo provincial tournament to be staged at Gifford on 29 June. Ngodzo, now a juniors coach at Bulawayo City has committed himself to assisting his former school reclaim their lost glory by offering free coaching next year.
@Mdawini_29
