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Robson Sharuko : Senior Sports Editor

ZIMBABWE international forward Tendai Ndoro was described as the Jamie Vardy of the South African Premiership by a SuperSport commentator as he was inundated with rave reviews after his superb hat-trick, sealed with a beauty into the top corner, on Wednesday night. The 28-year-old, who was retained in the Warriors’ side for their final 2017 Nations Cup qualifier in Guinea, was the stand-out performer of the first two days of the latest Super Diski show, scoring three times in the second half at the Orlando Stadium, to give Orlando Pirates a 3-1 win over Golden Arrows.A tap-in from close range just after the interval, a downward header for his second and a beautiful third, dragging the ball with his left foot, with his back towards goal, turning sharply to open an avenue of opportunity in the Arrows’ defence, taking a touch and then curling the ball into the top corner, completed his memorable night.

SuperSport commentator and anchor Thabiso Tema, who was covering the game live on SuperSport 4 alongside Brian Mathe, described Ndoro — whose stock has risen in spectacular fashion in recent months after a frustrating introduction to life at Pirates when he was overlooked by former coach Gavin Hunt — as the Vardy of the South African Premiership.

“He is in the mould of Jamie Vardy, likes to play on the shoulder of the last defender,” Tema said in his description of the Zimbabwean striker.

Vardy, the Leicester City striker, like Ndoro, arrived late on the big stage with the English forward being plucked from non-league football by the Foxes at the ripe age of 25 while the Zimbabwean, who spent years in the backwaters of the Botswana Premiership, joined Chicken Inn at the age of 23 in 2011.

The speedy Vardy only made his England debut at the age of 28 while Ndoro was 26 when he made his debut for the Warriors at the COSAFA Cup in Zambia two years ago.

Last season, Vardy — with pace to burn and goals that destroyed the opposition — made a very big impact in the English Premiership as he helped lightweights Leicester City write one of the greatest success stories in the history of world football by defying monumental odds to win the title.

Ndoro has pace, too, but it’s his goals — since he finally broke into the Pirates’ first team — which have been the talking point and the lanky forward started the new season with a bang after a devastating second half performance sunk a plucky Golden Arrows who fielded two Zimbabweans, Kuda Mahachi and Danny Phiri, in their starting XI.

“All they need is to play the ball into areas in which he can hurt the opposition,” the SuperSport commentary team noted on Wednesday night after the first half ended goalless with Golden Arrows creating the better opportunities.

And, after Ndoro hammered home the third insurance goal that sealed the game, his new Turkish coach Muhsin Ertugral exploded into animated celebrations on the touchline in his first league match in charge of the Sea Robbers after having had a spell at bitter rivals Kaizer Chiefs.

“You can celebrate coach because that was a beauty,” Mathe, the SuperSport analyst, said as he provided the sound track to Ertugral’s wild celebrations.

“Look at the inter-play, when he turns as well, to just pass the ball into the net.”

Ertugral has coached some of the finest players to grace Super Diski since his arrival in the South African Premiership in 1999 when he took over as the Chiefs’ head coach.

He has coached Ajax Cape Town, Santos, Arrows and Mpumalanga Black Aces during his lengthy stint in South Africa and, on Wednesday night, he heaped praises on Ndoro saying the Zimbabwe international forward is yet to realise that he is a very good player who can even do more with his talent.

“Ndoro has great qualities, he doesn’t know his potential,” Ertugral said on the official Orlando Pirates’ Twitter handle. “But I keep telling him he will do great things this season.

“I can count four goals from him today. He should have scored a nice chance. That’s the kind of player he is.”

The chemistry between the coach and the player was on display on Wednesday night with the two embracing every time the Zimbabwean scored while Ertugral moved from his technical area to wish his marksman all the best when Ndoro was carried off the pitch on a stretcher after being injured in the closing stages of the game.

Ndoro was very complimentary to his new coach.

“All our goals today came from the training ground,” the Zimbabwean said on the Orlando Pirates Twitter handle.

“It was co-ordinated movement.

“We have a great coach who knows what he is doing. He supports us the same and if we do well, we are applauded and if not we are chased.

“I’m not concerned with how many goals I score. I’m more concerned with the team winning games, I’m not in it for personal glory.”

Ndoro also took to his Instagram account to speak about Wednesday night’s events.

“A good way of starting a new season. Thank God for the victory,” Ndoro said.

The Zimbabwean international’s popularity among the Pirates’ fans has been soaring, with each passing week, and he topped the votes for the Bucs team for the Carling Black Label Champions Cup against Chiefs.

He scored five league goals last season and, in one game this season, he has already scored more than half that tally while his return, in all competitions, was 10 goals.

Ertugral believes there is more to come from Ndoro and, if that happens, then probably he would have earned the right to be called the Jamie Vardy of the South African Premiership.