Owake wadlalela waphinda njalo waba ngumkhokheli weqembu lomdlalo wenguqu ele Highlanders, uErnest Maphepha Sibanda akasekho.
UEnerst Maphepha Sibanda ukhulelwe ngumkhuhlane wetshukela, oweDiabetese njalo wedlule emhlabeni ngoLwesibili ekuseni esibhedlela se Mater Dei, koBulawayo lapho akade elaliswe khona.
Ukufa kwakhe kutshiye abanengi abalandela umdlalo wenguqu bekhala ezimathonsi ngoba edlale indima enkulu ekuthuthukeni komdlalo wenguqu elizweni leZimbabwe jikelele.
Owayengumhleli wendaba zemidlalo kuphephandaba le Chronicle uLovemore Dube uchaze umuyi njengeqhawe emdlalweni kanobhutshuzwayo.
“Ngesikhathi uRoger Muhlwa esiba ngumgcinisihlalo weqembu le Highlanders uMaphepha waqhatshwa ukuba yi meneja yeqembu ngomnyaka ka 1998 njalo kusukela khonapho iqembu laphakamisa isicoco seligi iminyaka ilandelana kwaze kwaba kane. Ngo 2006 wakhethwa ukuba ngumgcinisihlalo weqembu le Highlanders njalo ngomnyaka wonalowo bahle baphakamisa isicoco seligi. Imbali yakhe iveza ukuba ubeyingxenye yengqubelaphambili eyenzakale emdlaweni wenguqu hatshi kuqembu le Highlanders kuphela kodwa lakuqembu lesizwe elama Warriors,” kutsho uDube.
Umuyi uqale ukudlalela iqembu le Highlanders ngo 1979 evela kuqembu le Contex njalo ubeyingxenye yeqembu eliphakamise inkezo ye Chibuku ngo 1980 ngemva kokunqoba ele Rio Tinto nge 4 ka nya, lenkezo ye Heroes ngemva kokunqoba ele Dynamos nge 3 ka 2.
Ngomnyaka ka 1981 ubeyingxenye yeqembu lesizwe eliphatheke kumncintiswano we CECAFA kwathi ngomnyaka ka 1983 usuke wayadlalela iqembu le CAPS United esigodlweni iHarare lapho adlale khona okweminyaka emithathu wasephenduka ekhaya.
Ekuthatheni kwakhe umhlala phansi uphatheke emidlalweni yabasakhulayo ekuqembu le Mthala waze wakhethwa ukuba ngumgcinisihlalo we Zimbabwe Football Association Bulawayo Province Junior League.
Owake wasebenzela iqembu le Highlanders ngesikhathi uMaphepha engumgcinisihlalo uBrian Moyo uthi umdlalo wenguqu ulahlekelwe kakhulu ngokubhubha kuka Maphepha.
“Ngumuntu engibona angani abanengi nxa bemcabanga angikhumbuli ukuthi bayakhumbula ubuso buka Maphepha ezondile. Ngumuntu obesithi loba esemsebenzini oqakathekileyo uyabe ekhuthele sibili kodwa ethanda ukubona abantu abaduzane kwakhe bejabula. Ngumuntu obethanda ukusoma langesikhathi somsebenzi.
Esikhathini sakhe yena esakhula ukhule waba ngumdlali odumileyo kwathi lalapho eseyekelile ukudlala ulisebenzele ibhola. Ulisebenzele kakhulu kumazinga lezigaba ezitshiyeneyo,” kutsho uMoyo.
UMaphepha uphinde njalo waba ngumeneja weqembu lesizwe njalo ubeyingxenye yeqembu lama Warriors ngesikhathi liphakamisa isicoco se COSAFA ngomnyaka ka 2005 langesikhathi liphumelela ukuyadlala kumidlalo yokudinga intshantshu zezwekazi lase Africa, eye Africa Cup of Nations ngo 2006.
Ngesikhathi edlula emhlabeni uMaphepha ubeyingxenye yebhodi eyeqembu le Bulawayo City njalo eminyakeni eyedluleyo uke waba yingxenye yeqembu le Bantu Rovers.
UMaphepha ubeseleminyaka engamatshumi ayisithupha lane eyokuzalwa.