The Sunday News
Sports Reporter
The excitement still bubbles up when Mzingwane High School soccer coach Beke Mavundla talks about his remarkable eight years as the Under-15 head coach and the multicultural team that won the 2012 Copa Coca-Cola National Championship.
The 37-year-old Mavundla spoke with unquestionable respect for the talent, teamwork and dedication of the school’s players as he shared his memories with Sunday Life.
He recalled his past eight seasons coaching football at “Bhundu” that led to widespread public recognition. Mavundla’s interview was filled with dozens of memories of players that have come through the school’s gates through the years, including little-known US-based national team striker, Lucky Mkhosana. Drawing on lessons learned from and with them, Mavundla said he developed a never-give-up coaching philosophy. He said he had an example of that attitude that he would give to his players.
“If a guy gets past you, he’s not really past you,” Mavundla would tell them. “Keep going. He can still hear your footsteps coming after him,” and that has an important effect.
Mavundla told Sunday Life how he is always amazed at the day-to-day obstacles many of the young men on his team had to overcome. For several years Mzingwane has had to do without recruiting football players specifically and managed quite well with scholars purely at the school for academic reasons but with just enough love and knowledge of the game to get by.
“We have never been able to recruit football players specifically because we have no provision for bursaries. As a result, we have always had to do with players who come to Bhundu for academic endeavours but who understand and can play a bit. It’s this kind of players who have put us on the football map,” Mavundla says
Beginning in 2011, the makeup of the Bhundu football teams combined the occasional exceptional talent with team spirit, hard work and the result was “a perfect storm” leading to the 2012 championship.
“We asked the players to trust each other,” Mavundla said.
Mzingwane High School’s “Dream Team” championship in 2012 gained national attention. Bhundu’s Guv’nor has led his school to five of their six provincial titles since 2011 during which time he has manages the likes of Mkhosana, Bosso 90’s talented Innocent Chifamba and another US-based player, Marvin Sibanda. Mkhosana and Sibanda moved to the US in football scholarships after their stellar performances with Bhundu.
A die-hard fan of the 4-2-3-1 formation, Mavundla who has a Level Four coaching certificate has been coaching since his arrival at Mzingwane in 2005 but only became head coach of the Under-15 side in 2011. He remembers a 17-year old Mkhosana when he arrived from Thekwane High School in 2005 as the most complete footballer he had ever laid his eyes on. Mavundla says the striker possessed every imaginable attribute required of top striker.
“The first time I saw lucky play, all I could say was WOW! He was the most complete, most rounded player I had ever seen and I knew he would make it in football. He had it all: positioning, control, vision, skill and a keen eye for goal,” Mavundla said of the Plumtree native.
Mkhosana went on to make the Zimbabwe Under-20 side that took on Zambia in 2006 before moving to the US in 2007. Currently, Mavundla is smitten with Lower Six student, Ashley Dube who charmed then Under-15 coach with his skill, passing range, control, and assessment of game situations. The attacking midfielder now plays for Bhundu’s Under-20 side having cut his teeth under Mavundla.
“These days I’m charmed by a 17-year old who is in our Under-20 side and played in my team when he was still an Under-15. The boy has everything a coach would expect of an attacking midfielder,” Mavundla said.
Mavundla’s crowning moment in 2012 saw him go the entire season: from cluster qualifiers to the final of Copa Coca-Cola Championships in Victoria Falls against Pamushana without conceding a single goal. In addition, he only had 13 players to choose from after the rest had been disqualified during vetting. He was left with a squad that included Marvin Sibanda who was only in Form One at the time. Mzingwane beat Pamushana 1-0 in the final through a Chifamba goal.
Mavundla then took the Copa Dream Team comprising the best players from the tournament to South Africa in a tour. The team included Chifamba, Bukhosi Ncube and Bukhosi Sibanda.
As his side prepares for the provincial finals that they will host this Friday, Mavundla still has reservations about the development of football in Matabeleland South.
“There has been some improvement in the quality of football in Mat South but not much. Schools in our province are still not willing to invest in sport and this is making us lose out to schools like Mpopoma and Guinea Fowl who prioritise sports development and their football programmes,” he said.
Meanwhile, the crown jewel of Matabeleland South Under-15 football will get the sole ticket to the Copa Coca-Cola Under-15 National Finals. And nine combatants for what should be an epic battle will go head to head in the provincial championships at Mzingwane High School on Friday. The nine schools will be drawn into three groups of three with the group winners and best runners-up making it to the semi-finals. The national finals will be held at Rimhuka High School in Kadoma in July.
Schools that had qualified for the provincial finals at the time of going to press are: Plumtree (Bulilima), Thekwane (Mangwe), Garanyemba (Gwanda South), Collen Bawn (Gwanda North), Tongwe ( Beitbridge), Mvuthu, Mzingwane (both Umzingwane). Finalists from Matobo and Insiza districts were yet to be known.
