One on one with Madinda Ndlovu

THATO KALA
Correspondent | Monday June 3, 2013 00:00

 

In this interview with Sport M onitor he shares the philosophy that landed him two titles.How does it feel to have won the second league title of your career?It's obviously a great feeling to have won the title again. But credit goes to the players who did an exceptional job throughout the season. I remember when the season started people were saying Chiefs has old players who may not finish the season. I'm really proud of them because they stood out all season.

Despite the achievement Chiefs are yet to open talks for a new deal with you. Does that not bother you?My contract runs out in about four weeks' time and with the league coming to an end, I will be able to discuss my future with whoever is interested. For now, we round off the season and see what happens from there. I think I have done what I came here to do and the onus now lies with the club. So I am not bothered by anything.

Would you say management gave you the support you needed to achieve this feat?The most important thing is that we have delivered two titles successively as a club, which shows something was being done right. I would rather look at the positives and hopefully the club will build up on that.

What was the impact of the departure of Dirang Moloi, Jerome Ramatlhakwana and Phenyo Mongala to DRC?It affected us because they were all key players and played an important role this season. We were lucky because they went when it was pretty obvious we would win the league. So the team worked hard from there to finish off strong.

Do you think their move to a league like DRC was a wise one? Are there any countries that Batswana should not play in? I don't think so. I feel that was a good move for the boys because there is room to grow themselves as players outside the country. The set-up there is quite professional and obviously the financial gains are quite good. So I think the move will benefit them. What is your feeling about the administration of football in Botswana?

I recently told a BBC reporter that administration is the biggest letdown for Botswana football. Botswana has a lot of football talent, but their biggest undoing is poor administration. There is very poor management which needs to be improved seriously in order for the country to realise the talent it has.

 What do you feel must be done to make strides towards professionalism?I think the first thing to look into is infrastructure. It is unfortunate that players have to train on a dusty field and then play a competitive game on turf. It affects the player in so many ways. I also feel there must be a certain level of qualification requirements for anyone who wants to administer a club, the same way there it is for coaches. Administrators also need training so as to have the necessary skills to run a club.

You won the league despite the divisions over your stay at Chiefs within management and, at some stage, it was reported the axe was looming.Yes. I had an ambition to win the league and my philosophy was that I would keep that as my focus. One focus. I told myself whatever challenges would come along the way, my eyes would stay fixed on the bigger picture, which is what I wanted to achieve. I would not allow any newspaper reports or negative talk to move my eyes from my target. That is how I made it.

How would you feel each time there were reports that management wanted you out?Look, I was not appointed by the newspapers, Mochudi Centre Chiefs employed me. Whatever the newspaper chooses to write has nothing to do with me. So that was never an issue for me. My philosophy was to keep pursuing my target and here I am - two successive titles. 

Participation in the Champions League looked to derail you in your onslaught for the title, do you think it was a good move to take part in the Africa Safari?Of course, it was very important to go out there and compete in Africa. There is a lot that everyone within the club learns from such experiences. The players, technical team and management all get some exposure from such competitions and it is quite important.

It is said that Chiefs could not fire you because you borrowed them money, how far true is that? Those are internal issues. In any case, who said that? It was a newspaper. I do not know where that came from, but definitely it was not said by a Chiefs official on record.

And Chiefs are said to be owing you an amount in the region of P500, 000 from unpaid salaries and bonuses? Is that true?

Like other organisation, Mochudi Centre Chiefs have their challenges. Again, this is an internal issue between the club and I. It would be unfair to discuss this in the media.

Your last words to the Chiefs family.To the supporters, I want to tell them I feel they did not support the team as expected. There were times they stood aloof. The team needs them all the time. I want the players to know I am grateful for what they have done - they were exceptional. I appreciate their efforts. For management, like I said earlier, football management in this country leaves a lot to be desired - Mochudi Centre Chiefs is no exception. The Chiefs management has a lot of work to do in terms of straightening up their way of doing things.