The return of Valentine Ndaba

Sport
AT a time when Dynamos were in dire straits at the beginning of the current Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season, he has shone like a beacon.

AT a time when Dynamos were in dire straits at the beginning of the current Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season, he has shone like a beacon.

BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE

Valentine-Ndaba-1

But all of a sudden, disaster struck as a car accident near Sam Levy Village in Borrowdale, Harare, on May 2, left the livewire new signing Valentine Ndaba nursing serious bruises and cuts on his right shoulder and chin.

Since then, Ndaba has not featured for the Harare giants. But last week, he was named among the substitutes in an away goalless draw with Ngezi Platinum.

When Standardsport visited the Dynamos training session at Motor Action Sports Club on Thursday morning, it did not take time to notice Ndaba.

Winger Carlos Rusere raced clear on the far side and delivered an inch perfect cross for Ndaba, who struck a sweet volley, hitting the woodwork and bouncing out of play.

Clutching his head in despair, it had to go in, he probably assumed, as he had to convince coaches that he was back to his best.

But just as the partial solar eclipse phenomenon had engulfed the whole country that particular morning, he realised he was only halfway there.

“I don’t want to talk to you, I don’t talk to journalists,” he snapped at this reporter, who had eagerly waited for a word with the 29-year-old former Highlanders attacking midfielder.

“I am not like other players. I don’t like to talk with my mouth, but with my feet on the field of play. So go and write what you saw me doing in the ground.”

Even another desperate plea for just a brief comment on what he had to go through during his road to recovery fell on deaf ears.

“People don’t want to hear about the accident and other things, but they want to see me play and I am saying they will see me play soon. I can’t talk to you I will do my talking on the field of play. I’m sorry my brother,” Ndaba said.

The accident occurred a day after Dynamos had narrowly lost the Harare Derby against bitter rivals Caps United, their first defeat to their bitter rivals in a league match since 2009.

Dynamos only had four points from the first four matches of the season, with one win, one draw and two loses.

And it has not got any better for the Harare giants, since they are mired in a crisis, having won once, drawing six times and lost once in the last eight matches.

Dynamos assistant coach Murape Murape said he was pleased with Ndaba’s recovery and chances were that he would get a few minutes of game time against Chapungu this afternoon.

“Last week, he was on the bench. He is showing signs of improvement. He is not fully fit, but beginning this week, he might start having some game time because we have to be careful with him. He is a talented, young man and we don’t doubt his capabilities. He is someone we really want to be part of the team, so we can have all our best players to make sure that we can fight to the end of the season,” he said.

DeMbare captain, Stephen Alimenda, said the whole team was excited about their colleague’s return.

“We are very happy that Vale is back. We know that the team is stronger now. We are a team, we train together as a team and it’s not the same when one member of the team is not there,” he said.

Meanwhile, in other matches pencilled for this afternoon, second-placed CAPS United, who are on a high after thumping Mutare City 4-1 last Saturday, will be hoping to keep up with the log leaders FC Platinum when they travel to Gibbo for a date with Triangle.

Highlanders visit basement side Border Strikers at Dulivhadzimo, eager to improve their fortunes that have seen them fall further behind Pure Platinum Play.

But in recent weeks, Dulivhadzimo has proven to be a tricky territory after Border Strikers stunned Dynamos and Ngezi Platinum in their last two home outings.

Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Fixtures Today: Triangle v CAPS United (Gibbo), Dynamos v Chapungu (Rufaro), Border Strikers v Highlanders (Dulivhadzimo)