Bosso’s Prince with a king’s heart A STAR IN THE MAKING . . . Sixteen-year-old Prince Ndlovu was recently promoted into the Highlanders senior team from the Bulawayo giants’ development side Bosso 90

Tadious Manyepo

Sports Reporter

AT the age of 16, Zimbabwe’s greatest ever footballer Peter Ndlovu announced his arrival in the local top-flight league playing for Highlanders. 

He was enormously talented and his prowess would in no time take him to the English Premier League after signing for Coventry City in 1991.

The iconic Warriors captain, who is currently the Mamelodi Sundowns manager in South Africa, officially hung his boots in 2011 when Highlanders prodigy Prince Ndlovu was just turning five. 

The 16-year-old Mzilikazi High student didn’t get an opportunity to watch Ndlovu in his entire career. 

Neither has he met the legendary former Coventry City, Sheffield United and Birmingham City star. 

And now, trying to fit into Peter Ndlovu’s boots and possibly walk the same path as he did, Prince Ndlovu feels no pressure to try and do as much as the legend did. 

Prince Ndlovu, one of the youngest players in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League, was promoted into the senior team from Bosso 90 last month. 

With a developing frame and an impressive all-round performance return, he is tipped to reach the heights that the great Peter Ndlovu scaled in his heyday. 

Critically, Prince Ndlovu, given he didn’t watch Peter Ndlovu, said he doesn’t feel any pressure to try and match him. 

“I want to do more and achieve more. 

“I don’t have a lot of pressure because I didn’t watch Peter (Ndlovu) play. I just hear that and I know he was outstandingly talented. So I just play my normal game without putting myself under a lot of pressure,” said Prince Ndlovu. 

“For me (playing for Highlanders) is a dream come true because most kids want to be at this level and being there at my age is something I really appreciate and I am very grateful. 

“My mother (my mother’s sister whom I stay with) was so happy, she nearly cried (when she heard that I had been promoted to play for Bosso’s senior team). My mother stays in South Africa and when she heard the news she came here, I mean she was so excited.” 

Prince Ndlovu said he is not intimidated playing against older opposition players given it is something he was already used to when he was still playing in the First Division where Bosso 90 compete. 

“It all started when I was playing in the junior league, I used to play with older guys and got used to it so when I made my senior debut, playing with the big boys was something I was already used to. So I wasn’t that nervous. 

“It’s really unbelievable to be sharing the dressing room with some of the guys I used to read in the newspapers when I was about 10, 12 years old. I used to admire those names, Peter Muduwa, Lynoth Chikuhwa, Ariel Sibanda and others so playing with them now is an unbelievable feeling. These guys don’t talk that much. They really motivate me to do the right thing.” 

Prince Ndlovu was born in the year Bosso last won the league title and he believes he can help them reclaim the glory before he embarks on the next leg of his promising career. 

Prince Ndlovu wrote his name in the history books by making his debut for Highlanders at 16 years after coming on as a second half substitute against Manica Diamonds. Peter Ndlovu made his debut for Highlanders as a 16-year-old, 33 years ago, but Prince made his debut eight days younger than Peter Ndlovu’s debut.

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