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Lovemore Dube, [email protected] 

FORMER Dynamos data and match analyst Ashely Ndebele has praised the most successful Zimbabwe elite club for allowing him to practice.

Ndebele joined DeMbare mid-season last year and was part of the team that won the Chibuku Super Cup.

He pays tribute to Dynamos and says he learned a lot during his stint there. He had joined the Harare giants from Bikita Minerals who had identified his technical acumen from the Hwange Area Zone League where he was involved in Dete in the Rhino Champions Soccer League.

“First and foremost, I would love to Thank God, the Almighty for the life-changing experience availed. Secondly, I heartily extend my gratitude to Dynamos FC Executive, head coach Chigowe, the technical team, players, and the 7 million fans for the amazing time and memories. I truly grew and learned more at Dynamos,” said Ndebele who tried his luck at Shabanie Mine as a player before trying his hand in guiding, tourism, and traveling which later led him to Hwange District where his coaching started. 

Ndebele admitted that not every coach or analyst gets the chance to work for a club as big as Dynamos and an opportunity to be at the reigning champions.

“It’s an honour and privilege to be associated with Zimbabwe’s football champions Simba Bhora. They are an embodiment of success and have revived previously unsung passion for the game, joy, and hope to the people of Shamva and the whole of the province,” said Ndebele. 

Ndebele said in his first season in Zimbabwe’s elite league, he had found out that the Zimbabwe PSL has rich quality in talent and shrewd tacticians.

“There is no easy match at all,” said Ndebele. 

He described his first year in the field of performance analysis as fulfilling.

“Winning the Chibuku Super Cup in my first full season as a performance and tactical analyst was the highlight of my football journey and the year,” he said. 

Ndebele said: “My Duty as head of performance and tactical analysis entails pre-match preparation, this heavily is inclined to key performance indicators like SWOT reviews on opponents and training sessions and analysis of immediate and previous matches and training.”

Ndebele said they do in-game analysis, post-match too.

“This entails the evaluation of the players individually, sectionally, and as a collective. 

Scientific-oriented data retrieved from GPS vests and foot tracker devices help immensely in getting factual data about players.

“After all that we submit to our head coach Joel Luphahla all our findings,” said Ndebele.

“At Simba Bhora we do development analysis which is biased towards observing sessions, specific patterns that help players to develop through the individual player performance dashboards that are updated daily,” he added.

He said the field of analysing was a modern tool meant to help on the technical and tactical sides of the game.

“It’s a strong catalyst to modernising our local football as now things like positional data, tactical awareness, tactical execution, and spatial awareness are easy to track. Injuries are mitigated as analysing acts as a buffer between players, and technical and medical personnel. 

“Time management to the athletes’ recovery phases improves. My partner in crime in the analysis department is GPS specialist Allan Shamuyarira who works flat out to ensure our data is on point,” said Ndebele.

Their role he said serves to make the brand grow bigger through professional and scientific synergies.

“Our goal as Simba Bhora is to be counted among the best in Africa,” he said, alluding to the fact that the support structure led by club president Simba ‘Buju’ Ndoro, chairman Isaiah Mupfutusa was great.