The Sunday News
Allan Foti
TWO years ago exciting winger Fortune “Fokoza” Ncube retired from football rather prematurely.
Suffering from an eye ailment, the former Bantu Rovers, Bulawayo Chiefs, Black Mambas, Hwange and Motor Action forward decided to concentrate on coaching junior football and develop his career on the touchline.
A chance visit to Warriors legend and Mamelodi Sundowns team manager Peter Ndlovu in Johannesburg led to a job with a development side that has links with Real Madrid forward Christiano Ronaldo’s Portuguese Alma Mata, Sporting CP Portugal. Hired by the Bedfordview-based academy Sporting CP Academy in June this year, Fokoza currently coaches the Under-9 and Under-6 teams.
“I came to visit Peter here in Jo’burg and I became part of a social team called Danfein alongside Zimbabwean players like Peter, Mlungisi Ndebele and Richard Choruma. During one of our matches, Peter introduced me to Sporting CP director Joao Bragga who also plays on the team,” Fokoza told Sunday Life during an interview from his base in Johannesburg.
After watching and training with the team for a month, Fokoza was hired by the academy and also began working with some private schools around Bedfordview.
“Bragga invited me to training sessions to which Peter drove me and I also watched their matches. A week later Bragga invited me over to come and train with the boys. I then went a full month of attending their trainings sessions and watching matches before I was offered a job as the Under-9 and Under-6 head coach. Later Bragga introduced me to some private schools where I coach Under-15s, but unfortunately I can’t name them because my contract doesn’t allow me to talk to the press,” he added.
A holder of a Caf C Licence, Fokoza paid tribute to former coach, Methembe Ndlovu who he said he admired for his passion for working with and developing young players. He added that although he is yet to apply for a national team job it is still one of his priorities.
“I have never applied for any national team job because I am not yet ready and I still want to learn. However, I know I have what it takes to make it. My passion though is to coach my favourite Zimbabwean team Bantu Rovers in the near future. I have always admired Methembe Ndlovu and his belief in youngsters and I look forward to the possibility of working with him at Bantu,” Ncube revealed.
Prior to moving to South Africa, Ncube began his coaching career with stints at ZRP Beitbridge FC in the Zifa Central Region Division 1 league before moving to Arenel Movers where he worked as an assistant coach.
