The Sunday News
Noel Munzabwa, Sports Correspondent
AFTER an almost lengthy United States of America visa wait, Zimbabwe’s young football coach, Samkeliso Paradzai Ncube has finally found the soccer coaching path to New York based USL League 2 outfit Pathfinder FC, completing a switch from Spanish side FC Malaga City.
Though delayed by the visa, the 33-year-old Ncube who has been coined ‘Zimbabwe’s Football Pep’ finally took to the skies landing in New York early this week and took no time to settle down to football coaching business.
“It was a worthy wait for the US visa issuance that has finally come to fruition and I am more than ready to give what I have to offer but there will be big football coaching lessons and gains for me as well. It is an amazing opportunity to hone my skills in one of the best footballing countries in the world. They have an amazing football culture I’m going to absorb as much of the good stuff as possible. I think it is good for local coaches to be exposed to international methods to make our local football improve its quality and competitiveness. Zimbabwe football needs rebuilding from grassroots right to the top. We need to produce well developed players if we are to succeed,” celebrated Ncube on Thursday.
Anyone who really thought the sky was the limit may better get this limitless lesson from Ncube, whose Spanish move to FC Malaga City early this year all but carved open a switch to the United States.
Ncube, who probably became the first ever Zimbabwe soccer coach to grind his expertise in Spain, joins a growing list of the country’s football technical luminaries to coach in the US among them Charles Mhlauri, Methembe Mayor Ndlovu, Thulani “Biya” Ncube to name but a few.
His stint at FC Malaga City saw the Spanish side getting promoted to the Division de Honor after winning the lower strata, something Ncube cherishes as the crescendo to his career which also had a touch from John Toto Ncube at police side Black Mambas.
Born in Harare, Ncube grew up at Chikurubi Support Unit camp where his father was a police officer and started playing soccer at a tender age but during the run got injured but for the love of football pursued his dream to become a coach.
It all happened in good faith when he got his first coaching licence when he was at Black Mambas with John Toto Ncube who helped him through his experience but later moved to Twalumba and worked with Wilson Mutekede, Mike Madzivanyika and Gift “Umbro” Muzadzi.
“That’s where the nickname Young Pep started when the owner of Twalumba the late Nkululeko Sibanda said on my birthday Pep we need the championship. I then moved to Caps/Gunners Development side with Darlington Dodo, Ikabort Masocha, Stewart Murisa and James Matola. But young as I was only a few coaches expected that one day I was going to make it in Europe but I stood my ground and became the head coach for Big Five Football Club taking over from Joseph “Shabba” Takaringofa.”
Ncube then relocated to South Africa where he became assistant coach to Backlyfield Chivenga who taught and imparted a lot of things and guidance to the young coach.— @NoelMunzabwa
