United Kingdom based former soccer player, coach and administrator Phil Mbofana recently donated soccer and netball kits at Karuru Primary School in Hurungwe, Mashonaland West province.
Mbofana handed over football, netball and volleyball kits to the school that he attended from 1977 to 1983.
His donation included a football kit plus two balls, netball kit with two balls, volleyball kit and two balls and four officials' jerseys. He also donated a soccer ball to Karuru Secondary School and another ball to Churuchonuna Primary School.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Mbofana said it was refreshing to reconnect with the school that nurtured him into a footballer and a banker due to his academic prowess.
"I did my primary school from 1977 up to 1983,” he said.
“ This is the school that made me what l am today, both as a soccer player, coach and administrator.
“It's good for me to come back to the same community that raised me.”
Mbofana recalled how he started playing for the first team soccer from a very young age.
- Ex-footballer Mbofana remembers his roots
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"Besides being a rural school, Karuru remains my backbone of inspiration since it played a pivotal role for my upbringing as a soccer player and a soccer administrator," he added.
Mbofana later went to Churchill Boys High School in Harare between 1984 and 1987.
"I continued playing soccer, including playing for lower division team Transtobac FC. I then started coaching at school due to some recurrent injuries," he said.
As a professional, Mbofana later joined Barclays.Bank from 1988 untill 2001 where he rose through the ranks to the assistant accountant level.
He briefly played for Dynamos FC juniors.
"I enrolled for coaching courses and started formal coaching, winning several accolades with Barclays Bank FC (Financial League). In 1997,” Mbofana said.
“ I was transferred by the bank from Harare to Mhangura and became a coach for Mhangura as part of the Premier League coaching experience," he added.
Mbofana was appointed Mhangura FC head coach in 1998.
He was armed with a Level Two coaching certificate.
That raised his profile.
"The Mhangura football team was a force to reckon with as a very competitive club in the league. We lost controversially to CAPS United in the 1998 BP League final," Mbofana recalled.
At national level, Mbofana was part of the national team between 2001 and 2007.
"l was appointed the U20/23 assistant coach in 2001. The late Nelson Matongorere was the head coach. I later became head coach of the teams," he recalled.
During his tenure, they won several international tournaments including winning back to back Vodacom Cosafa U20 Tournaments in 2001 and 2002.
"We won a bronze medal at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games with the national team, the Warriors," Mbofana said.
He left Barclays.Bank in 2001 and joined CBZ as a manager until 2007 when he resigned.
He was a Zifa competitions committee vice chairman and CBZ Cup tournament director.
Internationally, Mbofana was a coach at clubs such as Swaziland' XI Men, Bush Bucks FC and Hellenics FC and Mbabane Highlanders FC, among others.
"From 2020 until 2022 l coached FC Wilanow in Poland," he added. Mbofana is among those pushing for the Mhangura team’s revival.
"Currently I am sitting on the board to revive Mhangura FC currently playing in Division 2 and coaching part time here in the UK," he said.
The Mhangura interim executive has Moses Malunga (patron), Mbofana ( chairman), Taurayi Mashayamombe (vice chairman) and George Mapurisa.
Others are Petros Mufunga Jnr the secretary general , Shame White (organising secretary) , Lawrence Chinembiri (advisor).
Two committee members are Albert Mandizvidza.and Malvin Makumbirofa.
