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Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor

PETER NDLOVU was the trailblazer, the first African footballer to score in the English Premier League on September 2, 1992, and now — 28 years later — the Tanzanians have joined that illustrious company.

Two weeks earlier, the Flying Elephant had also made history when he became the first African football star to grace the English Premier League when he featured for Coventry City on August 19, 1992, in a 0-2 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.

Now, the man many believe to be Zimbabwe’s finest footballer ever, and certainly its greatest Warrior by a considerable mile, can watch from a distance as others join the party.

Ndlovu had CAF Champions League commitments with Mamelodi Sundowns, where he works as the team manager, on Saturday as the Brazilians became the first South African side to complete the group stage assignments unbeaten. Sundowns beat Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca 1-0 in Atteridgeville as Sundowns, beaten by the same scoreline by Chicken Inn just four years ago, completed the group stages without tasting defeat.

In sharp contrast, Zimbabwe’s representatives in the Champions League, FC Platinum ended yet another group stage campaign without a win, drawing only once in their six games, as they lost 0-2 to Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia.

While Sundowns have been flying in Africa’s biggest inter club tournament, there are signs of trouble in their kingdom with coach Pitso Mosimane yet to commit to renewing his contract with the club.

“If Sundowns grant me those things (the 20 percent stalking the contract renewal negotiations) we are almost there,” Mosimame told The Sowetan newspaper.

“I love this team and I want to stay. I built this team but this thing must go both ways, the club is at the stage where they can even get a better and bigger coach because the team is big.

“It is about principle and not money, trust me, it’s not about the money.”

While King Peter and his Brazilians were celebrating a milestone achievement, for a South African club on Saturday, the global football world was also noting the latest success story in an adventure that was started by the great Warrior. When Mbwana Samatta was named in the starting XI for Aston Villa’s relegation battle against Bournemouth on Saturday, he became the latest African star to feature in the English Premier League.

It’s a journey which Ndlovu started that day on August 19, 1992, opening the way for hundreds of African players — including legends like Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, George Weah, Jay Jay Okocha, Nwanko Kanu and Mohamed Salah — who have all starred in the Premiership.

Samatta, who joined fellow Africans — Marvelous Nakamba of Zimbabwe and Egyptian Trezeguet in being recruited by Villa this season — became the first Tanzanian to play in the English Premiership.

He also became the first Tanzanian to score in England’s top-flight league.

Tanzania became the 31st African country to have a player featuring in the English Premiership, an adventure which Zimbabwe began with Ndlovu doing so 28 years ago.

Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, DRC, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Zambia and Zimbabwe have all had, at least, one player featuring in the English Premiership.

The Zambians have had three players — Neil Gregory, Emmanuel Mayuka and Collins Mbesuma — but none of them managed to make an impact during his time in the league.

The South Africans have had 13 — Shaun Bartlett, Kagisho Dikgacoi, Mark Fish, Quinton Fortune, Mbulelo Mazibela, Phil Masinga, Benni McCarthy, Aaron Mokoena, Matty Pattison, Steven Pienaar, Lucas Radebe, Tokelo Rantie and Eric Tinkler.

Tinkler was part of the pioneer class during the 1992/1993 season at Leeds United where he made 25 appearances and two assists but did not score a goal.

Bruce Grobbelaar was also part of that pioneering class of African footballers that season, in the colours of Liverpool, although he was coming to the end of his successful stay at the Reds.

Since then, two other Zimbabweans —  Nakamba and Benjani, who both had ties to Highlanders during their time as youth footballers — have played in the English Premiership.

In fact, only the City of Kings has managed to produce players who have been good enough to make the grade in the Premiership.

They could have had a fifth, had Adam Ndlovu not had the misfortune of arriving at Old Trafford on trials at the same time as French genius Eric Cantona when Manchester United needed just one addition to their squad.

In the end, manager Sir Alex Ferguson settled for Cantona who then went on to provide the individual magic which the Red Devils had been searching for in their bid to end 26 years of waiting for a league title. Norman Mapeza also came close to joining West Ham, passing his trials when Harry Redknapp was the manager and earning lavish praise from teammate Rio Ferdinand who said the Zimbabwean would be a great addition to the Hammers.

However, Mapeza couldn’t secure a work permit and the chance was lost while Ferdinand went on to enjoy a great career at Manchester United.

By scoring on Saturday, Samatta also joined 17 other players who have, at least, scored a goal in the English Premiership for their nations.

Ndlovu and Benjani already did that for Zimbabwe. With four players having graced the English Premiership, Zimbabwe have had more representatives than Angola (3), Benin (3), Burundi (2), CAR (1), Equatorial Guinea (2), Gambia (1), Guinea Bissau (1), Kenya (1), Liberia (3), Seychelles (1), Sierra Leone (3) and Tanzania (1).

Remarkably, among the Southern African countries, when one doesn’t consider the DRC which is often classified as a Central African nation, Zimbabwe are the only country with a player featuring regularly in the English Premiership this season.

Such is the impact Samatta’s move had on Tanzania that thousands of fans filled a stadium in Dar es Salaam to watch his first appearance for Villa on wide screens. Drogba remains the most prolific African goal scorer in the Premiership within 104 goals while Kolo Toure notched the most appearances (349) and Nigeria have provided the biggest number of players to grace the league.