The ManicaPost
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
TALENT knows no geographical locations!
Twenty-time domestic top-flight league champions, Dynamos FC confirmed that Genesis Mangombe, who was the first assistant to Herbert Maruwa (suspended recently by the club), will take over as the interim coach.
Maruwa who spent seven months at the helm of Dynamos was suspended by the Harare giants over what they called ‘inconsistent’ results.
Many have been asking where exactly was the genesis of Mangombe’s football career?
Mangombe was born at Chipinge District Hospital in April 1, 1983, and attended Clearwater Primary School in the peri-urban area of the farming town from 1991 to 1997.
A gifted football player back then, Mangombe enrolled at Ngaone Secondary School in Chipinge District from 1998 and 1999, before transferring to Musirizwi Secondary School in the same district where he attended school from 2000 and 2001.
He undertook his Advanced Level studies at Chinaa High School in remote Chikore community also in Chipinge District.
In all these years in primary and high school, Mangombe played football.
He started featuring on the school’s team card as early as Grade Four at Clearwater Primary School.
“At Grade Five, I captained my primary school team. I was gifted with precision in front of goal. I could score goals for fun. In fact, I scooped the golden boot awards in numerous high school tournaments.
“In 2005, I went to stay with my brother in Harare and that is when I joined the Zimbabwe Republic Police. At that time, I desperately wanted something that would give me money because my parents were late and I wanted to take care of my sibling. Progressing with school or my football career alone, was a non-starter. That is how I joined the police and was attested in April 2005.
“While as a recruit at ZRP Morris Depot, I played for ZRP Morris. I was selected to play in the SAPRCO Games that were held in Botswana.
“It was rare back then for a recruit to play in the SARPCO Games. I was the top goal scorer in the Commissioner’s Gala twice, and this is one of the major tournaments in the police.
“I later played for Black Mambas from 2006 to 2008 in the Northern Region. I played alongside Sebastain Mtizirwa, Peter Kachirika and Masimba Dinyero was retiring by then.
“The club was promoted into the Premier Soccer League with Clemency Chakwamba as coach, while John ‘Toto’ Nyikadzino was also their assistant coach. We participated in a number of SAPRCO Games in the Southern African Region,” he said.
The decision to start working on coaching courses when he was still a player seems to be paying off for Mangombe.
“I sustained a knee injury that gave me problems, so in 2009, I decided to undertake coaching studies for my future. I attained my Level One while still playing. I went on to do Level Two while still playing football.
“I then did Level Three and CAF C coaching courses. ZRP assisted me in a major way throughout my coaching studies. I then went on to assist Nyikadzino.
“I was called by Rodwell Dhlakama at Prince Edward and stayed there until I became head coach for the Under-17s. I was then called to coach Yadah Stars. We worked hard to survive relegation. The following year we did not fight relegation as we remained in mid-table,” he said.
While at Yadah, Mangombe was called to join arguably the country’s biggest football institution, Dynamos.
Contrary to widespread rumours that Mangombe was backbiting Maruwa, the Chipinge-born coach has ‘great respect for Maruwa’.
“I was called to join Dynamos when I was still at Yadah. I talked to Papa Walter Magaya about the call and he gave me his blessings. It was a difficult decision, but given that it is everyone’s choice to be part of Dynamos, I moved to DeMbare.
“I have a lot of respect for Hebert Maruwa and owe him a lot for the guidance. We worked together well until his untimely departure,” he said.
Currently, Mangombe is undertaking a Sports Science degree with Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE).
