‘They were the glue of the team’: Ex-AmaZulu man praises former Bafana stars
A former AmaZulu FC midfielder has praised two ex-Bafana Bafana stars, saying they were the glue-binding Usuthu during their tenure at the club.
Butholezwe Ncube, who spent six years at the KwaZulu-Natal-based side, has heaped praise on SA football giants in Siyabonga Nomvethe and Mabhuti Khenyeza.
The former AmaZulu FC defensive midfielder joined the club in 2016 when he was signed from Zimbabwe. He lasted at Usuthu until January 2022, having worked under the mentorship of Joey Antipas and Cavin Johnson.
Ncube also worked under Ayanda Dlamini, Romain Folz and Benni McCarthy. It is during McCarthy’s stint as head coach of AmaZulu that he worked under the wing of the former Bafana stars.
FORMER AMAZULU FC MIDFIELDER HEAPS PRAISE ON KHENYEZA AND NOMVETHE
“I’ve never felt so comfortable. They are even legends off the field of play. When I arrived, Mabhuti Khenyeza was still there. He really pushed me hard to be a complete player,” Ncube told FARPost.
“For some time, I thought he was giving me special treatment but I realised he was like that to all. It’s a rare gift to have a brotherly figure who is not too commanding but leading. The same goes to Nomvethe, he was so kind and a perfectionist. Personally, I found my interactions with them very fruitful.
“And to be honest, in a way, they were the glue of the team during that time. And even with Benni McCarthy in-charge, it was worthwhile.’
The Bafana Bafana legend Nomvethe left the club at the end of June 2033 after his contract expired. The club decided not to extend it. In 2020, the former striker was appointed by AmaZulu as an assistant coach to Benni McCarthy.
He was then demoted to the DStv Diski Challenge [DDC] side when the club promoted Ayanda Dlamini to take over as Romain Folz’s assistant coach.
Khenyeza left AmaZulu in February 2020 to join TS Galaxy. His stay at the Tim Sukazi-owned club lasted only seven months, as he went on to join Golden Arrows.
He joined Arrows as an assistant to Mandla Ncikazi, who had been promoted to head coach following Steve Komphela’s initial departure to Mamelodi Sundowns.
He is now Arrows’ assistant coach, with Komphela as the head coach.
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