CAPS United technical director and assistant coach Nelson Matongorere has died.
He was 68.
Matongorere who was strongly involved in local football passed on last night at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare after suffering a stroke before CAPS United played against Highlanders last month.
The legendary coach was instrumental in implementing the growth of women’s football in the 1990s under Leo Mugabe, he was also instrumental in the development of junior football in the country and is one of the visionaries who brought FUTSAL to Zimbabwe.
In 2011 he worked as the ZIFA Technical Director working with the Warriors by then Klaus-Dieter Pagels for a Mighty Warriors training camp in Germany.
Matongorere also had a stint coaching the national U20 and U23 sides.
Often referred to as the godfather of coaching, Matongorere groomed a lot of local coaches as a FIFA coaching instructor.
His students include the current CAPS United coach Lloyd Chitembwe as well as the Malawi-based former Warriors coach Kalisto Pasuwa and FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza.
Matongorere served football with a distinction and without a doubt the football landscape will not be the same without the legendary coach.
The legendary coach did his Level 1 in 1981 and he is on record claiming that it was the only course he paid for.
Ghanaian coach Ben Koufie identified his potential and mentored him, while encouraging him to go to Brazil, Holland and other countries for courses that were sponsored.
He used to boast that never paid a dime for all the football knowledge that I acquired, hence he was passionate about sharing his expertise with other upcoming coaches.
He is also involved in the women’s Northern Region School of Excellency project which is aiming to train and establish a wide selection database of the Under-17 and Under-20 players.
The former footballer began his coaching career at the defunct Chikwanha Rangers which was in Division 1 as a player-coach.
He took over when the club coach Martin Gede resigned.
Zbc
