Adam “Adamski” Ndlovu – Was Highlanders football club marvel and former Zimbabwe international striker

                                                    Adam Ndlovu              

                                       By Lovemore Dube

Adam Ndlovu’s name will stay entrenched in the annals of Zimbabwe football history as having been one of the best natural strikers.

While his brothers may have hogged the limelight with fantastic wing play for country and club, Adam had a different flair he brought to the game.

The uncanny habit to control the ball, shake off opponents and with lightning take off, round up an opponent before picking his sport for a goal.

Despite not being so big he had so much power to shrug off any good defender and passed his mark against the likes of Francis Shonhayi, Misheck Sibanda and Henry Chari.

He would operate from the centre and was equally effective even when he found himself on the wing hunting and then turning on the power cutting in to let go a screamer to send Bosso faithful into song and dance.

His two brothers Madinda and Peter, brought the effervescent effect to the game with their pace and dribbling at high speed and the ability to score goals in full flight or send inch perfect passes. Adam did what he had to do – which was to score goals and keep his clubs and country going.

The Makokoba born and bred star, whose entry to this world was on 26 June 1970, grew up playing football on any available piece of land. With a tower light a few inches from his doorstep, this meant he could play with neighbours’ children under floodlights.

To his credit 50m was the famous Thabiso Youth Centre where many a legend including his elder brother Madinda, fellow Highlanders legends Makheyi Nyathi, Gift Lunga (Snr) and Netsai Moyo had also horned their skills through informal and organised football for young boys until talent scout Ali Dube identified them and invited the boys to Highlanders juniors.

Street football and inter-city council youth club games sharpened his skills as confined places because of the size of pitches meant Adam had to learn to shrug off defenders and find space to go for the kill.

He played and top scored for Highlanders Under-14s and 16s playing with a number of players who would later on have an impact in the game too.

At 17 he found himself travelling to Europe with the team’s Under-19 team for the Aberdeen Youth Soccer Festival alongside Nqobizitha Maenzanise, Ernest Ncube, Sydney Zimunya, Marembe Ndlovu, Vusa Nkomazana, Thulani Nxumalo and Thulani Gumede.

This was probably the best orientation of many stints to come outside Zimbabwe borders.

By 1988 he was already enjoying cameo roles with the first team and the following year could not stop him from establishing himself in the Highlanders starting line-up following the move to Germany of strikers Madinda and Tito Paketh, Rahman Gumbo to Denmark, inconsistencies by Jerry Sibanda, Tanny Banda and departure to South Africa by Boy Ndlovu.

He was good enough to weigh in with over 10 goals and soon national team call ups to the Under-20s and 23s became a regular feature.

In 1990 with partner in crime young brother helped by the ingenuity of the brilliant Lazarus Mwambopo, Andrew Sue, Benjamin Mpofu and Makheyi Nyathi guided Bosso to their first league and cup double with his best match being a hattrick against Dynamos in the Zifa Cup final at National Sports Stadium.

Adam ran rings around the DeMbare defence toasting Shonhayi, Angirai Chapo, Claudius Zviripayi and Chari in the 3-1 win.

An appearance on the calendar with brother Peter was in order.

A Castle Cup followed in 1991 and a silver at the All-Africa Games in Egypt.

Adam had filled a void previously left by Josiah Nxumalo who on more than five seasons averaged double figures in goals scored. Bigboy Ndlovu, Tobias Mudyambanje and Dumisani Ngulube were one year wonders and lacked consistency going forward.

With Reinhard Fabisch part of Trevor Juul’s Dream Team foundation with the 1991 All-Africa Games side, Adam became a real deal rising to be among the country’s most trusted scorers with young brother Peter and city mate Agent Sawu scoring almost a 100 goals between them for Zimbabwe.

Another league title and top scoring season came in 1993 and in the following year FC Kriens bought him with fellow teammate and close family friend Nkonjera.

He would stay in Switzerland for seven years adding Delemont where he was with Harrington Shereni and round off with a stint at FC Zurich where he partnered Shaun Bartlett.

He scored 63 goals from 184 matches in Europe.

His business on home soil was not finished as he returned in 2002 to play for Highlanders FC and form a deadly partnership with Stewart Murisa with Thabani Masawi and Sautso Phiri also on the bill.

With another double figure haul of goals and league championship, off to South Africa Adam and Murisa went with the Adamski finding home at Moroka Swallows where he would score seven goals in his debut season in Mzansi.

He had stints with Limpopo Premiership side Dynamos, Free State Stars and he retired in 2005 having achieved one major honour to elude his legendary brother the great Madinda which was playing in the Africa Cup of Nations finals a feat achieved in 2004.

With his brother Peter they became the first siblings to feature at that level for the Warriors while in 1993 another piece of history was written when he featured with his two brothers for the senior national team.

Adam then went into coaching assisting Philani Ncube at Chicken Inn before taking over and would die in a car accident on 17 December 2012 while on his way to Victoria Falls for a social match where he could have played with Madinda, Peter and their eldest brother Mark Tundu who played as a defender for Highlanders.

In 1994 Adam was beaten to a transfer to Manchester United by eccentric Eric Cantona who would in three years earn legendary status at United.

For many a Highlanders fan and Zimbabwe true football lover, it is Adam, Zenzo Moyo and Josiah Nxumalo among the greatest Number 9s for Tshilamoya, a club that featured great wingers like Cavin Duberley, Tommy Masuku, Doughty  Sithole, Louis Kutinyu, Siza Khoza, Dabwitso Nkhoma,  Gift Lunga (Jnr), Mubariki Chisoni, Boy Ndlovu and Tanny Banda.

Adam is buried at Lady Stanley Square with other Bulawayo sporting greats Barry Daka, Willard Khumalo, Nqobizitha Maenzanise, Shaky Nyathi and Chipo Soko.