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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
EXACTLY 17 years after limping off while on a tour of duty for the Warriors in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Eritrea at the National Sports Stadium, former star midfielder Johannes Ngodzo has finally spoken about his mystery knee injury.

Ngodzo laughed off reports then that he joined the national squad carrying the injury from a social football match.

The former Highlanders’ midfielder’s injury has been subject of talk over the years, with some claiming the 2002 Soccer Star of the Year second runner-up only aggravated his injury on national duty after initially being injured playing in money games in Bulawayo.

Bulawayo then used to be a hive of social football matches during the off-season, with a number of Premiership players taking part in money games, especially the famous Horsepower tournaments.

Ngodzo Tshisa limped off on June 3, 2003, in a match the Warriors won 2-0 courtesy of a Peter Ndlovu brace, as they marched towards a maiden Afcon finals appearance in Tunisia.

Due to the injury, Ngodzo, who was a key member of the national team with his Bosso teammates Thulani Ncube, Dazy Kapenya and Richard Choruma, missed out on the trip to Tunisia.

Even though he recovered from the injury, he was never the same Ngodzo that illuminated the local football scene with his deft touches in the middle of the park for both Highlanders and the national team.

“I have heard all this nonsense that I was injured while playing social soccer in my hood. People always talk about what they don’t know, but the truth is that I sustained that injury while representing my country. It’s unfortunate and even painful that people would say such unsubstantiated claims. I remember clearly that when I went for that match, I had played literally all games for Highlanders and maybe fatigue had also taken its toll on me,” said Ngodzo.

“Those close to me know and are aware that I was injured on national team duty. All this other talk is just from people with their own unknown agendas.”

Earlier this week, Ngodzo, who coached Bantu Rovers to the 2016 Zifa Southern Region Division One championship, lambasted players that violate lockdown playing money games.

He warned that they risked an abrupt end to their careers through injury.