BY FORTUNE MBELE WARRIORS and Highlanders legendary midfielder Johannes “Tshisa” Ngodzo (pictured) has been tipped to take charge of the Real Betis Academy Zimbabwe centre to be established in Bulawayo soon. Sources in the City of Kings and Queens yesterday said the former Highlanders midfield maestro has been recommended to the academy by Footballers Union of Zimbabwe president and Dynamos legend Desmond Maringwa. “Tshisa (Ngodzo) could be leaving BCC to take up a position at the Real Betis Academy at the recommendation of Desmond Maringwa,” the source said. Real Betis Academy Zimbabwe president Gerald Sibanda yesterday said they were going through a number of legends’ curriculum vitaes, adding that appointments would be made in due course. ‘No comment for now (on Ngodzo), but what we are definitely doing is we are going to have a centre in Bulawayo. Definitely we are going to be bringing in the football legends that are already in Bulawayo to bring the community together so that we can at least develop football with passionate legends who are coming into coaching,” Sibanda said. He added: “We are trying to help develop their (the legends) coaching careers. Once we have done our internal process, our Bulawayo technical team will be communicated to you. For now no one has been appointed, we are considering various CVs and profiles for all the football legends who want to enhance their coaching from the Real Betis methodology of football.” Ngodzo is currently in Bulawayo City’s technical structures coaching a developmental side and was assistant to Try Ncube in the Division One side that was promoted back to the top league. He has coached Highlanders’ juniors and at one time got Bantu Rovers promoted to the Premier Soccer League.Dynamos legend Murape Murape was recently unveiled as the Real Betis Academy Zimbabwe’s head coach at a function in Harare. Sibanda, a former Zimbabwe international rugby player, is the founder and chief executive officer of Athletes Sphere Management that got into an arrangement with Spanish outfit Real Betis, through the club’s foundation to establish the Real Betis Academy Zimbabwe.The academy is set to go into operation next month.
