The Sunday News
Danisa Masuku
CHIPO “Senior” Mhlanga surely deserves the moniker Mr Promotions as he helped the two Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs, Njube Sundowns and Bulawayo City FC to gain a PSL ticket.
His coaching journey started with City Rovers FC juniors in 1988 before joining Olivine FC, a Division Two side and helped it to gain promotion to Division One. The following season he joined a Midlands outfit, Netherburn Mine FC which he also helped gain promotion to Division One.
How was his maiden season in the Division One league?
“We played our first year in Division One and managed to withstand the pressure as a result we survived relegation,” he says.
In 2001 he retraced his footsteps to the City of Kings and Queens and joined his former club Olivine FC. A match between his side and the now defunct Njube Sundowns was a window of opportunity for him to be spotted by the Njube Sundowns FC hierarchy.
“I was spotted by the Sundowns officials during a final league match. My team managed to beat them, as a result its officials lured me and I did not hesitate to join the outfit,” he says.
Senior assumed the control of the side, helping it to gain the PSL ticket in 2002. Players like Danisa Phiri, Vusa Tshabalala,
Have-a-Look Dube, Segby Sandaka, Edmore Sibanda, Simon Sibanda, Talent Ncube, Cleopas Toni and Vitalis Gweshe were part of his squad.
He reveals that the first five games were a bit tricky.
“It was a tough experience since the boys were not used to Premiership environment but after that the boys acclimatised to the PSL situation,” he said.
He added that in his maiden season his best result was a draw; all in all he says he admired Sundowns’ administration.
“Although we posted an uninspiring result of draws, in my entire footballing career as a coach I enjoyed my life at Sundowns since the club was run professionally and they swiftly responded to any request we made as the technical bench,” he says.
While he was at the helm, the club hired the legendary former Zimbabwe Saints great Ebson “Sugar” Muguyo and as a result he was pushed down to be his assistant.
He says he had a mutual relationship with Muguyo.
“He (Muguyo) had an open door policy and was open to advice. We are still in touch and he still helps me in my coaching career and I am willing to work with him if an opportunity arises,” he says.
He explains why he had to quit after the club hierarchy brought in Muguyo.
“I was not fired but I decided to quit because it occurred to me that if I remained at the club they were going to kick me out,” he reveals.
He then joined Beitbridge outfit, Border Strikers but his life at the border town was not all that rosy since they finished the season on the second spot for two consecutive seasons. He left Beitbridge in 2004 and joined Bulawayo City FC when it was in Division Three; he prides himself in being instrumental in its rise to Division One after which Philani “Beefy” Ncube assumed the leadership of the team and he became his assistant.
Why did he become second in charge?
“I did not have the required PSL coaching qualification, I only had a Level Four coaching certificate with Zimbabwe Coaches Association (Zisca) due to that I was not qualified to be a head coach. But I was part of the technical bench,” he says.
Mhlanga says his best players in the league so far are Rainsome Pavari who turns out for Bulawayo City and Clemence Matawu of Chicken Inn.
“Rainsome is a complete player and is a good defensive linkman. Matawu is an intelligent player whose talent is there for everyone to see and is gifted with wonderful passes. I’m confident if he doesn’t get injured during the season he would be part of the Soccer Star finalists again,” he says.
He left Amakhosi last year in August and took a break but former Zimbabwe Saints roving right back Daniel “Bingadadi” Ncube lured him to coach Zimbabwe Saints which is now in Division Three.
“As of now it’s so far so good as I have settled well at Zimbabwe Saints. I have posted a win, a draw and a loss. I would like to thank Bingadadi and the rest of the management for sound leadership which makes my job easier,” says Mhlanga.
Bingadadi who is now the overseer for Zimbabwe Saints appealed for sponsorship.
“We are aiming to bounce back to PSL. It seems there is light at the end of the tunnel as we have assembled a promising squad. But our efforts are being blighted by lack of financial resources to cater for travelling expenses and allowances for the boys. Due to that we are kindly appealing for financial assistance,” says Bingadadi.
Turning to the coaching job, Mhlanga is of the feeling that coaches in Zimbabwe are ill-treated.
“Coaches in Zimbabwe are not fairly treated because when a team posts negative results accusations will be directed at the coach without a careful analysis. Sadly factors such as financial resources or the quality of players are ignored,” he says.
He says club executives should desist from meddling in the affairs of their technical departments.
“It is worrying that some executive members of the club would bring their boys to be included in the team. At times such players would not be good enough but as a coach it would be difficult to refuse to include such players in the team. Truly speaking that comprises our job,” he says.
When did he kick start his footballing career?
He joined Highlanders juniors in 1974. Mhlanga left Highlanders juniors and joined a Division One outfit Luveve United FC. During that time Division One had teams like Black Horrors FC, Bulawayo Rockets, Bulawayo Sables, and Gwanda Ramblers.
He spent two seasons with the side and left to join the Barry Daka-coached Olympics FC after a playing few games in the reserve side he broke into the first team.
Senior says players like Philemon Dangarembwa, Tito Paketh and Fortune Zengeni were instrumental in the fine run of the team.
Mhlanga reveals that his worst game was when he made some blunders in his debut.
“It was not the best of my game, I made some costly blunders that resulted in us losing to Bulawayo Sables,” he remembers.
After spending two seasons with Olympics, Mhlanga joined a Division One outfit Luveve United. He says his most memorable game was when his side marched over Ramblers.
“That match when we clashed against Ramblers remains one of my best games as I scored more than two goals and we won that match,” he reminisces.
He made a return to Olympics in 1984 and spent two seasons with the side before calling time on his career at the end of 1986.
