The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Sunday Life Correspondent
NEW Orleans Football Club has time and again looked beyond the ‘‘usual’’ sources of football talent in urban areas and instead turned to outlying areas and in the process have unearthed gems that have gone on to shine at the national stage.
One such player is Mighty Warriors defender, Nobukhosi Palmah Ncube, who was discovered as an 11-year-old midfielder during a tournament while she was turning out for Sigola Primary School in 2004.
While most teams have been content seeking talent in town schools, New Orleans developed a programme of visiting rural schools and fishing footballers whom they would later shape into exceptional players.
After being selected among her peers to join New Orleans, she made the decision to make football her career and is among the players that would be doing duty for the Mighty Warriors at the Rio Olympics in less than two weeks’ time.
After exhibiting exceptional talent when playing street soccer, Ncube decided to join her school team and was identified by New Orleans director, Khanyiso Bhebhe during a tournament at the school.
“After being selected by New Orleans to join them, I immediately knew that I was destined to be on the pitch for the better part of my life. I was happy at the selection and I am glad that my mother supported me and encouraged me to take up the sport because she saw my talent and never stood in my way,” said Ncube, who has never met her biological father.
Although she started off playing as a midfielder, Alonso, as Ncube was christened by her teammates, was later moved to defence as her side (New Orleans) struggled with player exodus and Ncube showed she is a utility footballer excelling in that position.
However, she feels more comfortable in the middle of the park where she used to torment her opponents and also score crucial goals.
Of the origins of her nickname she said: “I used to play as a midfielder during that period and I was commanding the midfield well and scoring 30-40m drives so my teammates really loved it and compared my play with (Bayern Munich’s) Xavi Alonso’s”.
Ncube is the eldest in a family of five and was born in Bulawayo on 17 February 1993, grew up in Zanqaweni Village in Imbizo on the outskirts of Bulawayo but currently resides in Heany Junction.
She did her secondary at Sihlengeni High School from Form One to Form Three and then moved to Inyanda High School in Bulawayo where she was staying with Bhebhe and New Orleans were paying for her education.
Ncube said she was looking forward to a fruitful career in the sport adding she was hopeful playing at the Rio Olympics would open some doors for her and give her the opportunity to play abroad adding it was unfortunate their efforts in qualifying for the world’s biggest sporting showcase had failed to attract sponsorship to the women’s game.
She said lack of a funded national league had resulted in many talented players joining the trek to South Africa and dumping football.
“I would like to give my gratitude to (Mighty Warriors coach, Shadreck) Mlauzi who believed in me and gave me the chance to prove myself, I think he saw the talent in me hence he gave me my first call up in October last year.
“Bhebhe has also played a crucial role in my career from identifying me as a young player to mentoring me,” said Ncube, adding she is inspired by veteran Mighty Warriors defender, Nobuhle Majika and Tsholotsho defender, Spar Dube.
She said being a youngster in an experienced squad has taught her self confidence, which she believes has improved her game.
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