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Joel Ngodzo

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
NEWLY appointed Caps United coach Mark Harrison has ordered Joel Ngodzo to lose weight if he entertains hopes of playing for the Green Machine. Harrison also shut the door on former Bosso star Hillary Madzivanyika but another former Highlanders player, Thabani Moyo has been registered by Makepekepe and is in line for selection when Caps United kick off their Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season with an away match against league debutants Whawha.

Despite playing and scoring in the Zimbabwe National Army Charties semi-final match against Dynamos on Sunday, Madzivanyika, Harrison said, could not make the grade at the Harare side.

“We’d already registered the maximum number for our seniors so I’ve since asked him (Madzivanyika) to look for another club. As for Josta, he too hasn’t been registered but is still trying his luck, I gave him a programme to follow so that he loses weight and if he meets my expectations then we will rope him in,” said Harrison in a telephone interview from Harare yesterday.

Ngodzo was turned away by his childhood club Highlanders after coach Bongani Mafu also demanded that he lost weight before they could register him.

He has been in Harare for almost a month and now, just like his former teammate Madzivanyika, needs to race against time before the March 31 deadline.

Bosso initially dumped Ngodzo on disciplinary issues but Mafu extended an olive branch to the hugely talented star who could not grab the initiative for extra training.

Before the arrival of Mafu at Highlanders, Ngodzo reportedly had an altercation with then Highlanders assistant coach Mark Mathe, now the second in charge at the Green Machine.