The Sunday News
Danisa Masuku
Often times nicknames that are attached to individuals are a true reflection of one of the things that a person is known for or something that he or she did and left an indelible mark in the minds of individuals.
One right winger from Bulawayo’s Wanderers FC was Boy “Menace” Ndlovu, a winger who used to give many defenders a headache. He was one such player who could turn players inside out with his dribbling skills. Because of that, he earned the moniker –Menace- a nickname which gained prominence through the length and breadth of this country. The national team coach Sunday Chidzambwa concurs that Boy was a “menace” and remembers one match at Barbourfields (BF) stadium where he was turned inside out resulting in him twisting his back.
“Boy was indeed a ‘menace’ because he was endowed with dribbling skills. What I remember about him was from a match when we (Dynamos) played his team (Bulawayo Wanderers) at BF when he turned me inside out as a result I suffered a back as I turned fast to thwart his tricky manoeuvres ,” he reveals.
Most of the people believe Boy Ndlovu is the one who ended Chidzambwa’s career.
Ndlovu concurred that he has heard many people saying so but he remembers an incident where he turned Chidzambwa inside out in a Zifa Cup where he twisted a back.
“Most of the football fans believe that I’m the one who ended Chidzambwa’s career but let me hasten to say I’m not the one.
The only incident that I remember is when I dribbled past him and he tried to turn fast due to that he twisted his back and was stretchered off the pitch,” he reveals.
Ndlovu says in 1979 he featured more prominently in the reverse side and would make rare appearance in the first team .Unfortunately, his side got relegated at the end of the season.
He reveals that his grandmother felt that he was very young and could not be part of the senior team.
“My grandmother (uMaTshuma) felt I was very young and should not feature in the first team and as such abadala (club executive) visited my grandmother and convinced her to allow me to turn out for the first team,” he says.
Following that, he trained with the senior team that had Noel Nyoni, Charlse Wadawu, Eddy Zimunya, and Lucky Dube. His side clashed against Pangoline Mine FC drubbing it 6-3.
“We won that match 6-3. I scored a hat- trick and that match was a morale booster and I never looked back,” he says.
At the end of the season they bounced back to the PSL and now the side had the likes of Peter Mpofu, Joseph Ndlovu,
Obadiah Chiwetu, and Arthur Makombe. But their journey in the PSL was sad one punctuated with a number of defeats as a result they were relegated. In 1982 they were participating in Division One and they spent two seasons in the First Division league. He shone like a beacon proving to all and sundry that he is indeed a quality player worth noticing. His ever crowning moment of glory was at the end of the season in 1983 when he was selected to be part of the PSL Soccer Star finalist while he a Division One player.
“ I regard 1983 as one of my best years in my footballing career as I was second runner up Soccer Star to Ephert Lungu and as such, I cherish that year as it was rare for a player to make it into the Soccer Star calendar while plying his trade in Division One,” he shares.
In 1984 his side gained promotion into the Super League. And his star power continued to shine as a result his superb skills earned him a place in the under – 20 national team that fell short of qualifying for the World Cup, falling to Ethiopia in the last hurdle.
The team had the likes of Boy Ndlovu (Eagles), Henry Chari (Dynamos), Peter Fanuel (Acardia United), Henry “Bully” McKop (Zimbabwe Saints), Dumisani Ngulube (Highlanders), Joshua Mhiza, (Dynamos), Kuni Matambanadzo ( State House Tornadoes), Jonah Murewa (Gweru United), the late Mercedes “Rambo” Sibanda (Highlanders) coached by Obadiah “Wasu” Sarupinda assisted by Peter Nyama.
The determined and skilful pint sized right winger was to earn a place in the Soccer Star finalist.
“ I was part of the Soccer Star finalists in 1986 and I was in the calendar in 1987,”he says.
He says when he joined Bulawayo Wanderers it was a norm that Highlanders would time and gain defeat his team. But his side that had players like Elvis “Chuchu” Chiweshe, Lazarus Mambopo,Eddy Zimunya,Joseph Ndlovu, Francis Paketh , Arthur Ndlovu, Rahman Gumbo, Tani Banda, Johannes Tshuma, Stoneshed Moyo which was coached by Charlse Wadawu and ably assisted by Majuta Mpofu ended the jinx.
He recalls how he was determined to help his side beat Highlanders a team that he says was supported by most of his friends.
“All my friends were avid followers of Highlanders so it happened that when we clashed with Highlanders at BF, I had an argument with my friends who were saying Highlanders would beat us. In the second half Highlanders was leading 2-0. I scored. After that I changed from my usual position to play as a centre striker. I was marked by Douglas “British” Mloyi, and Alexander Maseko. I made my way past Mloyi and Maseko and dribbled past Fanuel Ncube and left him lying on the pitch and scored but the referee turned down my goal,”he says.
He says that that made him very angry and he protested the referee’s decision but he had to calm down and took the penalty.
“ I felt hard done by the referee but our coach had to calm me down, after that I took the penalty and scored. The match ended 2-2,” he says.
But as the season progressed financial woes started to affect the running of the team. He says when he returned from under-20 national team duty his teams told him that they are owed salary for two matches.
He says him being the captain he agreed with his vice-captain Elvis “Chuchu” Chiweshe to convince the other players not participate in the next game until they were paid their dues.
“It was on a weekend and we were playing Rio Tinto at Rimuka Stadium. The club officials paid us at around 12 pm. Before we left, we telephoned the match officials informing them that we had been delayed by a break down. We arrived there at 3.45pm,” he remembers.
Ndlovu says they beat the strong Rio Tinto side that had players such as Ephert Lungu, Joseph Ngwenya and Raphael Phiri.
“We beat them 3-0 after the match some of the supporters congratulated us for a beautiful display of football,”he recalls.
But the financial problems continued to put a dent in the smooth running of the club. He says after going for three matches without being paid he agreed with Chuchu and the entire team that they would not fulfil the next fixture. But all the players betrayed their trust. “Our team manager came to our house at Iminyela to sweet talk me into participating in the encounter but told him that I would play after we were paid. He then went to Chuchu and he refused as well. Surprisingly other players went ahead to fulfil the fixture but they were defeated. After that I discovered that we are not united as players,” he said.
As a result players such as Elvis Chuchu Chiweshe left for Dynamos, Rahman Gumbo left for Highlanders, and he (Boy Ndlovu) joined Highlanders but had little game time.
“At Highlanders I played a few games at times it was bad because I failed to make it to the first team. At the end of the season I was loaned to Rail Stars where I played a few games and retired from playing soccer,” he says.
In 2010 he went to settle in South Africa where he works as a truck driver.
Factfile:
Boy Ndlovu was born in 1963 in a family of two boys and two girls.
He grew up at Iminyela Township in Bulawayo.
He is married to Nomsa Ndlovu.
The couple was blessed with five children namely Edith, Boy Jr, Nicole who is at Pretoria University studying towards a law degree, Maxin is doing Occupational Health Therapy at Wits university, Ryan is doing Grade 10.
The couple fellowships at Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA).
