Former striker for ISD Thohoyandou FC and the Venda National soccer team Tshilidzi "Chester" Ndambakuwa wants to thank his former coach, Vhamusanda Vho-Thivhonali Nemavhola, for guiding them on as well as off the field and teaching them how to be disciplined and responsible individuals in life.
Speaking to Limpopo Mirror at his house last Thursday (20 October), Ndambakuwa said that nearly all the players who had played under the no-nonsense coach were successful people in their own right today. "The coach was not only responsible for guiding us into an unstoppable football outfit of the time, he was also a life coach. He taught us how to be disciplined in life in general, and 99% of that team's members are working and have stable families today," he said.
Ndambakuwa was thrown into the deep end when he was just 15 years old. He was already a household name at the age of 16, in the then Venda Football Association Soccer League, and was selected for the Venda national squad at 20. In 1990, he was nominated as Player of the Year.
During his time with ISD, he played alongside great footballers in the mould of the late Baldwin Mahlale, Muraga Mufamadi, Jomo Marubini, Aubrey Ratshihedane, his older brother Rofhiwa Ndambakuwa and Gideon Malombo Nndanganeni, to mention just a few.
He said that one of the games he would never forget was a game between Ngovhela XI Experience and ISD Thohoyandou FC. "I scored a goal from a place kick I took from about 30 metres away from the goalposts."
In 1994, he started working for the Department of Correctional Services, and in 1995, was selected to represent the Correctional Services' soccer squad and South Africa in Australia. They made it to the semi-finals, but lost 2-1 to England. He scored an amazing 16 goals in the tournament.
Many soccer analysts and football fanatics today say that, whenever they see the trickery and speed of Kylian Mbappe from PSG, they are reminded of the young Chester Ndambakuwa.
Ndambakuwa also thanked the football administrators, Mr Freddy Mabidi and the late Mr Calvin Mafenya, for leading the team to such great heights, even though those were difficult financial times.