Madinda wants to produce a typical Bosso player

EXCITING times for Highlanders FC are coming. This was the bold declaration by club legend Madinda Ndlovu during an interview with Sunday News last week.

The former Zimbabwe international and club's poster boy of the 1980s, said he has finished working on the syllabus to be pursued in his role as Director of Development at the 97-year- old football institution.

Ndlovu was roped in by the club at the beginning of the year to direct the junior policy and be the conduit for the young players' entry into the senior team. There have been reports that Ndlovu has been "dismissed" by his boyhood club as a result of bad blood between him and the team's coach, Baltemar José de Oliveira Brito.

However, Highlanders spokesperson Nozibelo Maphosa on Friday said Ndlovu was still part of the first team set-up, adding that his other major role was junior development.

"Coach Madinda Ndlovu was and is still hired by the club to double as the first team assistant coach and the Director of Youth Development.

His responsibilities are mainly on the Youth Development side, where he must help reshape the direction of our Youth Development Project. He further serves as the conduit between the first team and our Youth Development Project while assisting Coach Brito," explained Maphosa.

The Brazil-born gaffer was made to believe Madinda was eyeing his job.

"I am a Highlanders son. I respect the institution, members and everyone," said Ndlovu.

The club on Tuesday moved in swiftly to quell the alleged feud by bringing the coaches to a closed meeting attended by both Brito and Madinda chaired by chairman, Johnfat Sibanda. Vice-chairman Fiso Siziba, secretary-general Morgan Dube and chief executive officer Ronald Sibanda were also in attendance.

Relations are expected to improve ahead of the resumption of the league on 1 July.
Bosso has over the years allegedly suffered like most Premier sides in Zimbabwe from a situation where coaches run parallel structures and get players from elsewhere for deals after exposure.

The dragnet has been loose allowing good talent to be poached by other clubs without the team getting compensation for its sweat in shaping up the players' talents.

Seeking to plug those leakages Ndlovu was taken from retirement to also assist the club first team when it appeared Brito would sit it out on the bench alone without a qualified assistant.

He stepped in when Brito was away in Europe fixing his papers. Ndlovu refused to be drawn into the raging dismissal story saying he was busy with the development side syllabus.

"This is what I am working on. This is part of the mandate for my engagement and I have spent a great deal of time working on what I believe will work for Highlanders FC from the juniors.

This is what I have been working on for most of my time and I am happy I can now present this for us to follow in the development sides," he said.

Most junior clubs have coaches doing so without a programme that is monitored and evaluated only waiting for accidents to emerge as good talent. The former speed merchant a league winner as a player and a coach when he crossed borders to Botswana believes good times are coming.

"Exciting times for Highlanders are coming. We will produce the typical Highlanders player, gems that the crowds will love, boys who have a workmanlike approach to the game, flair and give plenty goals.

It's a process and this has to start at the bottom and with the boys Shepherd Mabaleka, Siza Khoza and Danny Ngwenya, give us time, follow us from an early stage with the kids and see what comes out. We are not going to do wonders but it will be a well-articulated programme that people will have to be patient with, as such takes time" said Ndlovu.

He said there is still talent in Bulawayo what is needed is to identify it and take it through a developmental programme that enhances the players' capabilities. Ndlovu says he still believes in the Highlanders game.

"Growing up I heard of terrific wingers like Cavin Duberley and Tommy Masuku. I saw and trained with Doughty Sithole, and played with Tanny Banda and Morgan Phiri on the wings.

I had a feel of what that did to our supporters. I dream to see from the generation of juniors such talent that will take fans down memory lane," he said.

The legendary Bosso and Zimbabwe winger said it was an honour working with Brito.
"The man's CV is massive. Who would not want to serve under him and learn. I hold him in high respect and while observing in the first team I picked up so many football lessons.

When foreign coaches come, they are there for us to learn from them and I will continue to learn from the Boss," said Ndlovu allaying fears that there is bad blood between them.

Rumours have been abound about bad blood and Madinda said those are common in football but dismissed word going around that he had bad mouthed his boss.

"There is success where there is unity of purpose. Whoever is at Bosso always has my support and will support my technical team and club up to the championship," said Ndlovu who suffered a stroke in 2019 in Botswana.

That led to his return at home where he made steady progress and his camp had insisted that he should not take the demanding Premier Soccer League jobs to avoid being exerted to strain.

Ndlovu's advisor Hosea Bhebhe said they were happy that the syllabus had been completed and that his client looked forward to presenting it which contains the Bosso playing philosophy. It was crafted with the aid of sports scientist, Dr Joseph Sibindi.