How ex-Chiefs star Mushangazhike plucked Zimbabwe’s youngest PSL gem

Former Kaizer Chiefs striker Kelvin Mushangazhike has revealed how he plucked Zimbabwe’s youngest Premier Soccer League [PSL] player, Principe Magondo.

The attacking midfielder is the youngest player in the topflight at the age of 15.

At the moment, Magondo is in the ranks of army-side Black Rhinos, while also currently sitting for his final Ordinary Level [Form 4] examinations.

Although he has rather been in the shadows of senior players at Rhinos, Mushangazhike who identified him during an inter-school tournament, believes the right-footed player is one for the posterity of Zimbabwe.

A GEM…

“He is such a player. Honestly, I wasn’t the one who coached him at a tender age, but I saw him during an inter-schools tournament,” Mushangazhike told FARPost.

“Then I was coaching Glenview High One, and we played against his former school [ Prince Edward]. He gave us a torrid time.

“My players praised him. That’s the day I realised he is such a talent that deserved more. I engaged them, and we started working together.

“He was such a thorn in the flesh, and my boys struggled to contain him, and since then I asked to work with him together with his coach Surpo [Tichaona Mufundisi], until he moved to Black Rhinos.

“He has worked with coach Surpo since he was 5 years old, and we have now joined hands to make sure he turns out to be one of the best.”

Mushangazhike added: “It’s unfortunate that Zimbabwe has not been playing international football.

“Otherwise, he could have been in the national team for junior championships in the COSAFA region.

“The fact that he is part of the Black Rhinos team at the moment, shows his quality and abilities.”

YOUNGSTER ATTRACTING OVERSEAS INTEREST

Mushangazhike revealed that the youngster is already on the radar of top German clubs, among them FC Köln.

Magondo’s father, Cliff, is confident his son is on course to football success.

“I push him hard at training, and I push him hard at school. He is writing his examinations at the moment, so I have to push him to be at the top on both ends.

“Wherever they play, I follow. I travel even if he doesn’t get game time, but I’m always behind to show him support and make sure that he maintains his character because he is still young.

“Much credit to his coaches, he could not be here had it not been of the coaches. They are important to him,” he said.

Meanwhile Kelvin, who is brother to the former Orlando Pirates striker Gilbert Mushangazhike, has been doing exceptionally well in Zimbabwe’s grassroot football.

Mushangazhike spent four years in the South African top-flight in the books of Kaizer Chiefs from 2002 to 2006 when he left albeit under controversial circumstances.

Since then, he has been heavily involved in junior development in the high-density suburbs of Glenview and Budiriro in Harare, where he has carved out players that have gone to mesmerize the Zimbabwean PSL and beyond.

Maritzburg United’s Tawanda Macheke is one of Mushangazhike’s best products since forming his academy in 2010.

He also produced the likes of Juan Mutudza, currently in the books of Zimbabwe’s four-time champions, FC Platinum.

Keagan, as Mushangazhike is affectionately known, also fine-tuned arguably the best set-piece taker in the PSL, Prince Chama, along with Munashe Pini of Chicken Inn.

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