JUST IN: How Zimbabwean coach Dhlakama identified future Eswatini stars Rodwell Dhlakama

MBABANE – Imagine driving 25 kilometres late in the evening to drill a budding soccer talent under the inconsistent headlights’ brightness after talent identification at a rural schools’ tournament.

And today that boy is on the cusp of being at the tip of the spear for Eswatini’s Sihlangu.
This is the fiction-like sounding reality of a tale as told by a jubilant “Eagle’s Eye” football coach Rodwell Dhlakama after catching sight of three names on the Eswatini senior national team provisional squad announced by Dominic Kunene last week.

Though no longer based in Eswatini but back home in Zimbabwe where he is the Ngezi Platinum mentor buckled with a role in the country’s Young Warriors technical team, Dhlakama narrated how his “Eagle’s Eye” plucked goalkeeper Sandanezwe Mathabela, midfielder Mzwandile Mabelesa and striker Sidumo Dlamini from unknown football zones.

The tale is one of the stories Dhlakama relates with satisfaction.

The former Zimbabwe Under-17 national coach will surely not regret his Eswatini time but rather wear a broader smile and even wider and most probably leap onto any opportunity if it crosses his coaching path since his first touch with Swazi football under the last trophy-winning Manzini Sundowns a decade ago.

This was during his Manzini Sundowns stint almost a decade ago and his last sojourn with Mhlume Peacemakers two years ago – something that added to his array of soccer products since his days as a mere Mathematics school teacher-cum-school team coach in Shurugwi, Zimbabwe, more than two decades ago.

“It gives me satisfaction to see these boys being called to the national team fold as it confirms that other coaches are seeing the potential that I saw in these players. Talent identification is my passion, and such developments energize me.

“Sidumo I remember the rural area called Sihhoye and was a student at Mphofu High School.

He was playing at a school tournament and scored 7 goals and that is what prompted me to take him and give him a chance to grow his career as a soccer player.

“Like I said he could not come for training so I would drive 25 kilometres from Mhlume and go down to train him at night using car lights every day.

He turned on the power and started to score goals, he was so robust, athletic, aggressive and had a great eye for goal,” said Dhlakama.

The football mentor who has also worked with prominent Zimbabwe Warriors stars Khama Billiat and Knowledge Musona, also recalled how he plucked Mabelesa from the lower echelons of the game in Nhlangano, south of Eswatini.

“Mzwandile was a ball winner and when he came, he was very raw I had trials where I invited players from lower divisions promotional play off like area zones that is when he came together with a left back who I am sure he is now playing for a big team and is so talented.

“Mzwandile nearly gave up soccer because he was afraid, but I had to follow him up in Nhlangano area, he would spend two to three hours striking the ball on the wall because I wanted him to improve his passing skill,” added Dhlakama.

Back to his first touch, Dhlakama recalled how a goalkeepers’ crisis broke the ice on Mathabela’s touch with premiership.

“I had Knowledge Jim from Zimbabwe but he broke his arm when we were playing against Green Mamba so one boy whom I took from Moneni Pirates Phinda Dlamini called Sir Jones told me about a goalkeeper who was his friend back home.

“When I asked him to come initially, he refused so I had to ask Peter Carmichael to send someone so I would have a look at him, so when he came they first discouraged me to sign him because of his condition but I stood my ground and signed him that is how he became a player at Sundowns,” added Dhlakama.

Dlamini and Mabelesa are now in Royal Leopards books while Mathabela is now first-choice keeper at Mbabane Swallows. – Panafricanfootball.com

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