The Sunday News
RICHARD Ndlovu, the Highlanders FC 1985 Player of the Year, regards former Caps United and Zimbabwe forward Shaky Tauro as the toughest opponent he ever faced.
The 64-year-old defender who is resident and working in the British city of Leicester, played for Highlanders from 1980 to 1988. His partnerships with Alexander Maseko and Douglas Mloyi at the heart of the Bosso defence are among the best ever in the club.
Perhaps in terms of physical attributes by a centre pairing they had the best height and physique to stand intimidating big strikers like Rodrick Simwanza, Gift Mpariwa, Joseph Machingura, Shayne Khamal, Nyaro Mumba, Tauro and Maronga Nyangela.
“Shackman Tauro always gave me a hard time,” says Ndlovu of the striker who with the likes of Adam Ndlovu, Norman Komani, Zenzo Moyo, Nyangela and Agent Sawu rate among the most prolific forwards ever after Independence.
Tauro was lethal in front of goal and quite an intelligent but cheeky striker who always tried to exploit his markers’ weaknesses among them concentration.
Ndlovu believes Caps United of all the teams he faced in his career posed the most danger. Back then the club could call on the destructive effects of Friday Phiri, Tobias Moyo, Shelton Mangwende, Isaac Mafaro and the legendary Tauro.
What made the club a potent force was probably the ingenuity of the midfield where three geniuses stood firm and shone like beacons. The engine room manned by Joel Shambo, Stanley Ndunduma and Stanford “Stix” M’tizwa was known for its creativity and the knack to come up with stunning goals too.
Ndlovu and his defence partners also had to contend with the power and dynamism of two other teams that he mentioned, Black Rhinos and Dynamos.
Rhinos assembled from mainly top Caps and Dynamos players, had Nyangela, Jimmy Mbewe formerly with Bata Power of Gweru and Jerry Chidawa heading their strikeforce that enjoyed good supply from M’tizwa and Ndunduma once they were in the Premiership with one of the best attacking midfielders ever to emerge in Zimbabwe Hamid Dhana in the matrix too.
The Chunga brothers – Kembo and Moses, Charles Chirwa, Mpariwa, Edward Katsvere, July Sharara and David George were some of the lethal tormentors Ndlovu and his partners faced in his days at Bosso.
Ndlovu played with a number of defenders at Highlanders Mloyi, Maseko, Lizwe Chafunya, Mpumelelo Dzowa, Augustine Lunga, Fanuel Ncube, Sam Sibanda, Lawrence Ndlovu, Netsai Moyo, Dumisani Nyoni and Mercedes Sibanda.
He speaks more of the Highlanders of 1984 which was not a pushover and was a number of times on the winners’ podium to collect silverware.
“I enjoyed defending with Douglas Mloyi, Alexander Maseko, Lizwe Chafunya, Fanuel Ncube, Dumisani Nyoni, Netsai Moyo and Mercedes Sibanda,” said Ndlovu.
He says evidence of that they were a good pack lies in that a number of his teammates were called up to the national team.
“We played so well that some of our teammates were called to the Zimbabwe senior national team. I was Highlanders FC Player of the Year in 1985,” said Ndlovu who had eclipsed consistent and top performers Willard Khumalo, Titus Majola, Mloyi and Madinda Ndlovu to the award.
In his time at Highlanders, Sibanda, Maseko and Mloyi had call ups to the senior national team with Nyoni and Moyo invited to the Young Warriors set up from the Bosso defence. Ndlovu probably the most capped winger of that era and Khumalo were favourite choices by coaches and the nation too in attack and midfield.
The Bosso 1985 Soccer Star of the Year arrived at the club from Plumtree side, Black Horrors. He had impressed in a friendly match against the Bulawayo giants and James Nxumalo did not hesitate to bring him on board to a team eager to make a mark in independent in Zimbabwe following three years of playing regional football.
“When I arrived I found Ernest Sibanda whom I had played with at Leeds United Under-14s, Contex FC and Titus Majola. I also knew Douglas Mloyi. It was not that difficulty settling in because there was not too much age difference with most of the players,” said Ndlovu.
In his first match Long Rich as fans affectionately called him for his height and long legs, they were up against Arcadia who had Geroge Rollo, Charlie Jones, Shaun Charters, Bethal Salis and Dhana brothers, Hamid and Majid.
Bosso consisted of Peter Nkomo, Lawrence Phiri, Mloyi, Fanuel Ncube, Augustine Lunga, Willie Luphahla, Phineas Mabaleka, Josiah Nxumalo and Madinda Ndlovu.
The city giants won 1-0, a result which favoured a debutant.
“After the match, the coach James Nxumalo had some small talk with me telling me where to improve and how to read and understand the game better,” said Ndlovu.
Having missed the 1980 Chibuku Trophy and Heroes Cup triumphs, Ndlovu’s medal collection started with the 1984 BAT Rosebowl win, 2-1 against Dynamos, he said.
We went on to collect the Chibuku Trophy twice, Rothmans Shield, another Rosebowl in 1986, Castle Cup, Independence and Heroes Cup.
Among his career highlights was playing in Africa in the then Cup Winners Cup twice in 1985 and 1987.
He toured South Africa, Swaziland and Germany with Highlanders.
Married to Sibongile and father to three daughters, Delphine, Daphne and Daphnet, Ndlovu recalls a fairytale run with Black Horrors in 1979. They reached the semi-finals of the Chibuku Trophy as an unknown quantity from the Southern Region.
With Joseph Nkomazana, Mike Mnkandla, Thailand, Bones, Stephen Moonsammy, Walters, Rass, Callon Ndiweni, Richard Phiri, Zebediah Chitimbe, Grey Ncube and coached by Paul Tsumbe, the club stunned Rufaro Stadium marshals when thy arrived in high spirits at the back of red Isuzu truck owned by the late Albert Matiwaza.
They gave a committed display losing 2-0 to a Caps side that burst into the reckoning after beating Zimbabwe Saints with Tauro, Ndunduma, M’tizwa, Salad Twaliki, Friday Phiri and Shambo.
Isaac Thabane was club manager and was the one who had got Ndlovu a job at a company DRG.
Ndlovu regrets arriving at Bosso when the likes of Majuta Mpofu and Tymon Mabaleka were about to hang their boots.
He praises Mark Watson a scorer of great repute too.
“These guys would turn games in our favour in times of hardships. Mark Watson would score in every game when Majuta was there. He was a profilic scorer,” said Ndlovu.
Born on 15 October 1957 in Bulawayo, Ndlovu attended Insukamini Primary School and proceeded to Mpopoma High School in 1970-1973.
