BY TERRY MADYAUTA
NO one would have predicted at the start of the season that unheralded FC Platinum coach Lizwe Sweswe would join the elite league of coaches who have won the local championship.
But he did.
Not given a chance following the departure of celebrated former Warriors coach Norman Mapeza in September, Sweswe confounded expectations by inspiring FC Platinum to their third league championship in three years, thus etching his name in Zimbabwe football folklore.
Despite going into the final day with a one point advantage over CAPS United ahead of the match between the two teams, he still remained the ultimate underdog.
The Zvishavane-based side was impressive in the decisive match and even playing the second half one man less, Sweswe’s charges were on top of the situation, restricting CAPS United to just one shot on target in the second half.
And as he basks in glory, Sweswe confessed in an exclusive interview with The Sport Hub, how he was riled by critics, who argued that his technical acumen was not good enough to match his predecessor’s.
“I had so many critics on all platforms even inside our camp, some doubted my abilities but with God’s grace (we won). It was painful to tolerate insults from fans, some even insinuating that I was not good enough. I give credit to team work for everything. This is a milestone for me, it’s a first and I’ll cherish it forever,” said Sweswe.
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This is Sweswe’s first and major achievement of his humble coaching career that took off in 2001, in his home town of Bulawayo.
“After winning the Premiership my CV is now complete. I cannot boast so much about it because I am still learning. I won championships at Division 2 and Division 1 level.
“But this memory will last the longest considering its worth and the circumstances under which I led the team, the departure of key players among other challenges,” he said.
Sweswe recalls how a stint at former premiership side Tsholotsho marked his rise to stardom when he led them into the premiership back in 2015.
“My first success story was in the Southern Region Division One, when I led Tsholotsho into the premiership. At first the club owner only wanted the team to be promoted to Division One, we achieved that and stayed in that league for two seasons,” he said, “In those seasons we were in top 4 which prompted the owner to raise ambitions and aim PSL league. We achieved that with little resources in our pockets, in fact it was a hand to mouth affair but as fate would have it, we won and joined the big boys with me in charge,” revealed the 42-year-old gaffer.
“That is when I realised that so many things could be achieved with hard work. My arrival at FC Platinum coincided with a league title in 2017 followed by the 2018 title again. “It was nervous but we did it.
“However, what makes this one more important is the fact that the team won under my leadership but I would attribute everything to my days at Tsholotsho, where I was moulded to be content with what you have at each and every moment,” he said.
As a player Sweswe rose through the ranks, having spent most of his time playing in the unfashionable Division One, where he played for teams such as Zupco Bulawayo, GND in the Southern region.
He was also a player/coach at now defunct GND in the Southern Region.
His said in the late 90s football was not yielding enough financial benefits for him, hence his decision to stay in the lower Division dungeons.
“During my playing days starting off in the late 90s, football was not giving enough money, so playing in the Division One was flexible because we had time to be involved in other money spinning endeavours.
Sweswe was also involved in junior development, having formed a junior league in Bulawayo.
“That also influenced the beginning of my coaching career which started around 2000. I started off with a junior league which I formed in Bulawayo, Magwegwe junior league. It was successful but lacked funding.
“The league did well because we produced players such as Butholezwe Ncube, who is currently playing in South Africa at Amazulu. I also mentored players such as Zimiseleni Moyo, who is doing well in Zambia.
“All these moves were just part of the long journey that I am walking right now. We are in the Champions League and like they say patience is a virtue, I believe we can rise to be a dominant force only if we can be patient with ourselves, knowing that we can learn to scale to greater heights,” he said.
After finally winning his first Premiership title as a coach with the platinum miners means the Kwekwe-born gaffer, however, still has a lot to prove as his team still faces a tough challenge in the 2019-2020 CAF Champions League where they are yet to pick a point in two matches their group.
