When Coach Clive Barker, who used the former Chicken Inn star sparingly, recently told this paper that he was not in a hurry to introduce the 2013 Castle PSL Golden Boot award winner to the SA game, doubts began to linger.
Was Barker one of those who did not approve of foreign players coming to the local league? But the 2006 Afcon winner has worked well with a number of Zimbabwean players before, including Tinashe Nengomasha and Thomas Sweswe at Wits.
At Aces, he is working well with other Zimbabwean players, including Method Mwanjali, whom he has made captain of the side.
The former Bafana Bafana coach also tried to reunite with defender Thomas Sweswe, but failed due to the latter’s injury during the just-ended transfer window. Despite that, there were many who could not help but wonder if Ndoro would not end up in the “rubbish heap”, like other former Castle Premiership stars like Simba Sithole, Tafadzwa Rusike, Denver Mukamba, Evans Chikwaikwai, Obadiah Tarumbwa and Ralph Matema, who failed to make the grade in the SA topflight, despite arriving with a lot of promise.
Slowly, but surely, Baxter began to introduce Ndoro. The former Chicken Inn striker has responded well and a star has been born. For the few who still did not know him despite his brilliant touches and eye for goal, last weekend became the time they learnt of the new Aces starlet.
Ndoro was influential, scoring two goals as Aces beat Moroka Swallows 5-2 in a thrilling league clash at the KaNyamazane Stadium in Witbank. The national team striker scored the opening goal as Aces drew first blood – the forward slotting in following good work by Themba Zwane in the 23rd minute.
The exciting Ndoro showed his abundance of skill when he broke free towards the near post in the 62nd minute and rounded the goalkeeper, but he was unlucky to see his effort miss the target with inches. He made amends later, when he tapped a delivery from Abia Nale.
Just as club spokesman, Gordon Masondo had predicted a few practice sessions into Ndoro’s contract, the 25-year-old has in a way been the panacea to the club’s previous goal-scoring problems, as they bid for a top eight finish.
“Ndoro’s acquisition will surely help the team’s goal scoring challenges and relieve the pressure off the other players in the team’s striking department,” said Masondo back then.
Post published in: Football