LIBOVU LIDOLOBHA!

My dearest readers ... A month in football nay politics, is a long time indeed. After the 4-1 demoralising loss to Mbabane Highlanders on the fateful Sunday afternoon on the opening day of the season on September 10 at Somhlolo National Stadium, Manzini Wanderers head coach, Nyanga ‘Crooks’ Hlophe cut a lonely figure, walking to the dressing room like a grizzly bear in urgent need of a root canal surgery. Visible disappointed. Crest fallen. Down and out ala Robert Gabriel Mugabe.

He looked like a man who had just survived Hurricane Katrina. The score was obviously flattering to Highlanders as the hub giants had also created enough chances in the first half to win the game or at least force a draw. After his fourth win in a row, a 2-0 win over self-imploding Red Lions on November 17, at King Sobhuza II Memorial Stadium, ‘Crooks’ cast his eye to the next match against Highlanders and bravely articulated that the ‘Black Bull’ would not beat his charges 4-1 again. Buoyed by his team’s impressive showing, Hlophe was upbeat.

The belief is back - on and off the field. The club’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pat Mahlalela attributed the good run of form not only to the unity within the team but the E900 000 Swazi Mobile sponsorship, which he said has brought stability within the club’s administration. Well and good. But for me, the hard work done by Hlophe since he took over the hottest coaching post in the land, at this great institution called Manzini Wanderers Football Club is priceless.

A predominantly youthful side, with little or no experience, no big signings, Hlophe has moulded them into an organised unit that knows what the word TEAM means, which is Together Everybody Achieves More. What faltering Matsapha United might have thought was ‘poison’ in Congolese exciting winger, Mike Dombo has become Hlophe’s main diet with some enterprising plays week in and week out. The ‘Deep Blue Ocean’ loss has become Wanderers gain. Aladeon Kola looked to be headed to the Premier League rookies too but somehow stayed and has once again led from the front in the ‘Weslians’ attacking forays. It is this patience and eye for talent that has made Hlophe the darling of the maroon and white outfit hordes of supporters.

Wanderers’ 1-0 defeat of Highlanders on Sunday wasn’t just a dish best served cold in as far as revenge is concerned but it was a win that retained the club’s image among the top teams in this country. Never mind that there hasn’t been anything shiny in the form of silverware at Wanderers’ yet-to-be-built trophy cabinet since the dearly departed Archie’s babes won the Swazi Telecom Charity Cup in 2005, the good times are back at Wanderers.

And those who worship with the ‘Weslians’ love every minute of it. Boy, did they sing and dance on Sunday after the sensational 1-0 win over Highlanders. It was a sight to behold. This time, Nyanga suppressed his joy. As his players leapt up, he stayed seated, eventually raising his eyes to the Heavens.

Whether in relief or something more spiritual, who knows? It has been a difficult stay for him at his beloved Wanderers under pressure from administration upheavals which even reached the highest court of the land as the battle for the soul of Manzini Wanderers raged on. Hlophe forgot about that but knuckled down to business on the training ground to get his charges fitter, meaner and drawn to a strong mentality like green flies to ox tripe.

Hlophe, a former defender himself for this great club, has a team that mirrors his character every step of the way – strong, workmanship-like performance, no thrills or frills. Having spent a considerable time laying the building blocks of Mbabane Swallows current success, ‘Crooks’ is quieter, wiser, sober-suited and no longer intent on beating the hornets’ nest with a stick. The buzzword is stability. ‘Crooks craves it, so do the current Wanderers management team. They are a perfect match made in Heaven and the results are there for all to see.

You can call it the second coming but Wanderers finally have a coach who not only knows the club’s culture, but has the team’s badge tattooed in his heart. He brings the same aura  Malawian player/coach, Kina ‘Electric Man’ Phiri brought to the ‘Weslians’ family in the 1980’s and 1990’s or the dearly departed Dumisa ‘Dodge’ Mahlalela who masterminded the unforgettable Castle Lager league winning side of 1998-99 season aptly nicknamed ‘Bothishela’ in tribute to their aesthetically pleasing football. Hlophe is a figure-head boss to love, cherish and respect. He is a uniting force a few characters in sport, politics or even business can emulate.

Hlophe does not have a magic wand to wave but Wanderers are in a lofty third position on the log standings – thanks to his hard work with his predominantly youthful team. The limit to what they can achieve is their own imagination.

This column believes in giving credit where it’s due and ‘Crooks’ deserves all the plaudits no matter how the season pans out. This angst-ridden armchair critic doffs off his poor’s boy cap in salute. Bravo ‘Crooks’, for turning Wanderers lemons into lemonade!
The Wanderers faithful all are punch-drunk with merriment!

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