When he arrived at Chiefs in July 2011, Madinda Ndlovu was given the mandate of steering the Kgatleng giants to the league title. He transformed Chiefs into a side which played the most attractive football in Botswana.
For two years on the trot, they overcame opponents with ease. But towards the end of the 2012/13 Premier League season, reports filtered through that the Zimbabwean mentor had fallen foul of his employees and his contract would not be renewed.
Madinda’s main undoing at Chiefs, soccer observers say, was failure to win the Mascom Top 8 Cup which has P1 million prize money. Others say the reason he was shooed out of the door was his intolerance for the meddling in his selection of the starting line-ups.
All these reports were denied by Chiefs’ spokesperson Clifford Mogomotsi at the time. “Every season we hear reports that Madinda he’s leaving so this is not new. He’s our coach and we are happy with the job he’s doing,” said Mogomotsi.
Rollers watched the developments closely and when Chiefs opted to let Madinda go, Mapalastina came calling. At the time some people close to Chiefs said that his departure would not affect their side because he was not the man behind their achievements and that players were credited for the two titles.
“Any coach would come and be successful at Mochudi Centre Chiefs. Madinda is tactically poor and Rollers will soon find out,” said one Chiefs’ official after watching Extension Gunners edge Rollers 2-1 during the pre-season Kabelano Charity Cup at Lobatse Stadium on August 17.
Madinda’s replacement at Magosi was the little known Dragojlovic Stanolovic who lifted the pre-season tournament. Those who were happy to see Madinda go were happy with their new mentor as they believed he was bringing a new tactical approach to their side. The good times were to roll at Magosi.
Despite all the criticisms leveled against him, Madinda decided to keep his cool. He avoided media interviews as he took his side through the pre-season preparations. He did not want to disclose what could have led to his departure at Magosi and focused on his new job.
Things did not start well for Madinda at Rollers as he was beaten 1-0 by Gunners in the opening league fixture on September 13. It was a night when all went wrong, his players missing countless opportunities.
A week later, Rollers were beaten 2-0 by unfancied Motlakase in a match played at SSKB Stadium. Pressure mounted on Madinda as he was called names by even the supporters of his new team. On the day, Madinda took a swipe at his players, including those playing for the national team, for not applying themselves.
The message was clear: He would ring changes to his playing squad for their league match scheduled for three days later against city rivals Notwane. The opposition had started the season well and Notwane were expected to add more misery to Mapalastina.
But Rollers responded in a manner which left the football fraternity shocked, hammering Toronto 4-0 in a game played under the floodlights at UB Stadium on September 24.
The games came fast and furious but the wins against Nico United, Uniao Flamengo Santos did not convince some people. If there was a fixture many believed would test Madinda’s tactical acumen, it was the one against Chiefs, billed for UB Stadium on October 27.
On the day, Gaborone came to a standstill as football fans thronged to undoubtedly the biggest fixture in Botswana football. Chiefs had gone seven games unbeaten and were favourites to carry the day.
As he walked to the bench, Madinda was booed by the opposition fans, who came in droves. Though he did not want to admit it, the pressure was all over his face.
Rollers had failed to beat Chiefs in three years, a fact that weighed on Madinda’s mind. While at Chiefs, he had masterminded two wins and two draws over Rollers.
In the end Rollers registered a 2-1 win over Magosi. What made the win even sweeter for Rollers was that their winning goal came in the 90th minute when Obonye Moswate finished what was their best move in the game.
In the post-match interview, Madinda said, “it was an emotional game for me and if I had a choice I would have not sat on the bench. Since it is the job I have chosen I had to.”
A week later, Madinda was to face off with Magosi again, this time around in the Mascom Top 8 quarterfinal. The venue was National Stadium last Monday night and the fans did not disappoint as they came in numbers. Some commentators said that Rollers’ win in the league was a fluke, that it was time for them to prove their mettle.
Chiefs rang changes to their line-up as they were the home team. It did not take long before Bonolo Fraizer got the party started, scoring in the third minute.
The stadium went into frenzy. Madinda kept his cool as he remained rooted to his bench alongside his two assistants, Mogomotsi Mpote and Zachariah Muzadzi. Clad in a white t-shirt and navy blue tracksuit, Madinda knew that it was not an easy game.
In the ninth minute, Namibian striker Jerome Louis equalized for Mapalastina to open up the game. At the break, it was 1-1.
In the second half, Chiefs started stronger again and they were rewarded in the 52nd minute when Lesego Galenamotlhale curled from the outside to beat Rollers’ goalkeeper Mwampule Masule.
It was the second time in the match that Rollers went down and it was up to Madinda to encourage his boys to go for broke.
In the 74th minute, Louis equalized for his side with a bullet from outside the box to send his coach into wild celebrations. Two minutes later, the Rollers’ skipper pounced on a long ball from his goalkeeper to score the winner. Madinda celebrated the goal wildly again in front Rollers’ supporters on the western grand stands.
In the end it was a deserved 3-2 win for Mapalastina and they had all reasons to celebrate deep into the night. Madinda was full of smiles and he could hardly contain himself.
He had achieved what many coaches have failed to do whilst at the club beating Chiefs twice in a space of a week. “It took a Madinda coached Chiefs to beat Rollers and it takes Madinda coached Rollers to beat Chiefs,” the Zimbabwean told reporters at the end of the game. Madinda pointed out that beating Chiefs twice in a row is nothing personal but he is simply doing his job.
One Chiefs’ supporter remarked at the end of the game, “I fail to understand why the committee had to let go a man who has won us the league twice in a row. Right now Madinda’s ghost is coming back to haunt us. I don’t see us beating Rollers in the return leg (to be played on November 29).”
Former Chiefs’ striker Kekaetswe ‘Mara’ Moloi who played under Madinda for the two seasons wrote on his facebook wall, “Madinda is a very good coach and he’s the only coach who has made history (by winning the league twice in a row) and Chiefs will never have a coach like him. He is a father, friend and coach to the players. Rollers will be strong team because of his leadership style. I wish him all the best for the future.”
The Polokwane City’s striker received mixed reactions from his followers, especially those who did not view Madinda as a good coach.
