Peter Ndlovu Embroiled in Sex Scandal

Sunday World, known for its sensational stories and exposés, carried a story in which a Zimbabwean woman – identified as Ntswaki Khathong – said the Mamelodi Sundowns hitman had left her when she fell pregnant last November after a two-year affair. 
An angry Khathong further alleged she had a miscarriage soon after learning Ndlovu had been taking her for a ride. She had believed the Highlanders legend was married to a European woman, who had stayed in England, where the striker spent more than a decade with Coventry City, Birmingham City, Huddersfield Town and Sheffield United, before moving to the SA Premier League in 2004.  The woman claims that, not only was she unaware Peter was married to South African musician Sharon Dee, she discovered Ndlovu was also seeing other women at the same time.He called me the same day we met and we went to his townhouse in Sunninghill and had sex the same night, she said. When I told him I was pregnant, he threw a tantrum. He told me he was disappointed with me and stopped calling or visiting me. After that I started hearing about his other girlfriends.Then came the discovery Ndlovu was married to Sharon Dee, and the miscarriage in January. She continued: When I started bleeding, a friend rushed me to a public hospital because I didn’t have medical aid. When I called Peter, he told me he was married so he couldn’t move freely as he pleases. He told me to call him later. When I called him again, he rejected my calls so I took a taxi home after I was discharged. I was bleeding profusely and in pain in the taxi. My friend fetched me and took me back to the hospital. When I got there, the doctor told me I had lost my baby. According to the woman, Ndlovu visited her the following day, and was never to be seen again.One day I bumped into his other girlfriend, who is a pharmacist in Pretoria, she continues, adding she tried to warn her about the player. She told Peter I was jealous of her. He sent me an SMS confronting me about the so-called lies I told his girlfriend.Meanwhile, according to the Sunday World, Peter admitted he knew the woman. I know the persons you are talking about, he said, but I don’t know what they are talking about.One of Zimbabwe’s greatest players of all time, Ndlovu is no stranger to sensational headlines. Back home, Zimbabweans will remember an incident in which he was involved in a bloody brawl over a woman with his successor as national team captain, Benjani Mwaruwari. Both players were later docked their match bonuses for the incident.

Giants back on continental campaign trail

HARARE

It’s back on the road again for Zimbabwe’s representatives in this year’s continental club football.A fortnight after posting first-leg wins in their respective campaigns, Dynamos and Highlanders return to the international stage once again, with clashes against Swazi champions Royal Swaziland and Ferroviaro de Nampula of Mozambique, in the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup, respectively.Both DeMbare and Bosso are expected to seal their passage today, as they are carrying a healthy margin going into the reverse fixtures after winning 1-0 and 3-0 in their first-leg clashes, to establish themselves as firm favourites in the lucrative championships.With DeMbare now playing today’s match before their own vocal home crowd at Gwanzura Stadium, not even the hiked gate-charges, where the cheapest ticket will be going for $30m, can deny the Harare giants a full house, judging by attendances from last weekend when Dynamos beat Highlanders to win the season opener – the Nestle Charity Shield. Dynamos’ newly elected Chairman, Partson Moyo, has defended the club’s decision to charge what, to ordinary fans, is indeed a king’s ransom. He insists runaway inflation and the ever-rising costs of running business in the country necessitate the charges.At the end of the day, one needs to look at the costs involved in running a club like Dynamos, and also take into consideration the hyper-inflationary environment we are living under. We feel for the fans, but Dynamos has to survive at the end of the day, said Moyo.Bosso, on the other hand, will be in the Mozambican outfields of Nampula, hoping to complete the demolition they started at Barbourfields. Theirr executive says, though, that underrating their opponents can be fatal, particularly when it is an international assignment.Football can be funny, and anything can happen, said Ernest Sibanda, club  Chairman. But after watching the two giants of Zimbabwean football in action last week, both sides would need to up their game to ensure their fans will be celebrating at sundown today, following a pedestrian display at Gwanzura Stadium last Sunday, which failed to rise to the expected heights.                    
Dynamos squad
W Manyatera, B Tuwaya, L Mapuya, T Sweswe, R Mhlanga, J Majabvi, M Murape, D Shoko, B Marere, E Sadomba, L Muhoni, N Maroto, A Dzukamanja, M Moyo.

Highlanders squad
W Arubi, H Dick, G Banda, Z Ngodzo, G Lunga, I Tinarwo, E Mudzingwa, S Alumenda, D Zimbago, T Kujika, S Machezane, P Kabwe, C Malajila, J Muzokomba.

Streak ends rumours on international future

BY GRANT MPOFU
HARARE

Former Zimbabwe cricket captain Heath Streak has signed with the rebel Indian Cricket League, effectively ending his international career.

Streak (33) had been inactive since cutting ties with English County side Warwickshire four months ago, and is back home in Bulawayo.

Speculation had been rife that he would back into the national fold, but on Tuesday, Streak revealed he had signed-up to play in the lucrative ICL, which is not recognised by the International Cricket Council. Anyone taking part in the competition is immediately placed banned by the world cricketing body.

Streak was the reason behind the rebellion that rocked Zimbabwean cricket in 2004, when he spoke out against the racial quota system Zimbabwe Cricket had been pushing hard to enforce.

The all-rounder had been adamant selection into the team had to be by merit, leading to a much-publicised bust-up. Fourteen senior white players backed him up in the stand-off. Streak was relieved of his duties as captain in April 2004 and had his contract with ZC terminated. The rest of the senior players also resigned from ZC, bringing Zimbabwean cricket to its knees. It has never recovered.
But Streak appears unperturbed by the prospects of an end to playing international cricket.

I still have not ruled out playing for Zimbabwe in future, but if playing in the ICL means I have ended my international career, I am not really worried, he said. It’s an opportunity for me to earn some money doing something I enjoy doing.

Streak, who was scheduled to leave Zimbabwe for India on Friday, said he hoped the ICL, which runs parallel to the official BCCI league would, one day, be recognised by the ICC, to enable him to review his options.

The inaugural season for the Indian Cricket League was scheduled to begin in October 2007, but moved to November 30 with six club teams taking part. It has attracted some of the best cricketers from around the world, but almost all of them are those in semi-retirement, or those who have decided to end their international careers.

Moemish of the week for Kapini

BY MXOLISI NCUBE
JOHANNESBURG

Warriors’ first choice goalkeeper, Tapuwa Kapini, made an embarrassing blunder in goal for Platinum Stars last Saturday, which saw Thanda Royal Zulu get a consolation goal in the ABSA Premiership match. Stars went on to win 2-1 at Princess Magogo Stadium.

Kapini, whose theatrics have made his many fans, chested down a harmless-looking long clearance from Thanda Royal Zulu into the path of an on-rushing Serge Djiehoua, who easily converted in the 80th minute.

The blunder, which saw the former Highlanders captain being severely reprimanded by his coach Nigel Gamondi, was later voted the moemish’ of the week on the SABC 1 Monday night soccer show, Soccer Zone, presented by Walter Mokoena.

Kapini made a similar blunder in 2002 at Barbourfields Stadium, when he robbed Highlanders of a famous 1-0 win over Tunisian giants Esperance in an African Champions League match. Bosso later succumbed 1-7 to Esperance, after a 0-6 mauling in Tunisia.

He made another blunder while in Warriors colours in Algeria in 2005 in an African Nations qualifier and needed a moment of sheer brilliance from skipper Peter Ndlovu to save his team the blushes.

If he continues to make similar mistakes, Kapini might lose the number one jersey to former first choice Wayne Sandilands, who is lurking on the Stars bench