Former Bosso coach joins Bantu Rovers

BANTU Rovers have engaged former Highlanders assistant coach Mandla "Lulu" Mpofu as their head coach, taking over from Johannes Ngodzo.

The ambitious former Premier Soccer League club ended the Southern Region Soccer League on fifth position, tied on 51 points with ZPC Hwange, who had a superior goal difference.

Despite being fired by Highlanders in September, Mpofu has been given a vote of confidence by the Bantu Rovers' management to lead the team in the 2016 season.

Mpofu has been unattached for two months after Highlanders terminated contracts of the Bongani Mafu-led technical team due to poor results. Bantu Rovers' general manager Wilbert Sibanda spoke highly of Mpofu, who left them at the beginning of the year to join Bosso.

"We've given Mpofu a three-year deal. He will work with Johannes Ngodzo and Chipo Tsodzo. The reason we've appointed a substantive coach now is to allow Ngodzo to go for Caf (coaching) licences next year and to make sure that the coach makes recruitments before the end of the year," said Sibanda.

Mpofu, a former Highlanders, Ziscosteel and Railstars midfielder, started his coaching career at the railmen as assistant to renowned juniors' coach Ali "Baba" Dube in 2005.

In 2007, he was promoted to the first team as assistant to Dan Ndlovu before he joined former Victoria Falls Division One Soccer League club Kujatana the following year.

When he took over at Kujatana, the resort town club was swimming in the murky relegation waters, but he changed the team's fortunes and led them to an unbeaten 13 game run, which saw them end the season fourth.

His Kujatana squad had, among other players, Shabanie Mine striker Tarisai Rukanda, Chicken Inn winger Tendai Ndoro, ex-Quelaton midfielder Fortune Nkomazana, Hwange defender Tonisani Sibelo, former Highlanders Under-19 captain Lindelani "Vice" Ncube and How Mine goalkeeper Nonjabulo Dube.

He left Kujatana at the end of the 2008 season to join Bantu Rovers, who had bought a Premiership franchise, and assisted Methembe Ndlovu for six months before rejoining Railstars for the remainder of the 2009 season.

Mpofu spent the 2010 and 2011 seasons as Railstars' head coach in the Zifa Southern Region Division One and led the club to runners-up positions in both seasons.

At the beginning of 2012, former Warriors' striker, the late Adam Ndlovu, brought him into his technical team and they guided Chicken Inn to a third place finish behind Dynamos and Highlanders. He left Chicken Inn towards the end of 2013.

Mpofu then rejoined Bantu Rovers in 2014 as assistant to Methembe Ndlovu after the side had bought Bulawayo Chiefs' PSL franchise. When Tshintsha Guluva were relegated to Division One, Mpofu remained in the topflight having been lured by Mafu to be his deputy at Highlanders.

The national Under-20 assistant coach said he is happy to be back at Bantu Rovers.

"The good thing is that Bantu Rovers have shown faith in my abilities and I'm going to work hard to ensure that my return to the club brings positive results. This is an ambitious club and I want to be part of its success story," said Mpofu.