Johannes Ngodzo is a former Zimbabwean footballer, who played for Highlanders Football Club as well as the national team, as an attacking midfielder.
He was a marvel to watch during his playing days, with his dribbling skills and great composure in the center of the park, Ngodzo could single handedly change the course of the game.
Ngodzo was born on 6 November 1980 and he is the elder brother to Zephania Ngodzo, Petros Ngodzo and Joel Ngodzo, all renowned footballers.
His father used to play for Ceramics, a Division Two side, and influenced Johannes as well as his brothers’ interest to play football.
BRIEF FACTS: Born Johannes Ngodzo
November 6, 1980, Bulawayo.
Education: Mzilikazi High School
Occupation: Footballer
Employer Bulawayo City Football Club
Relatives Joel Ngodzo, Zephania Ngodzo, Petros Ngodzo
Johannes Ngodzo is a former Zimbabwean footballer who was born in 1980. He is a former player for Highlanders Football Club as an attacking midfielder.
Background
Johannes Ngodzo was born on 6 November 1980 and he is the elder brother to Zephania Ngodzo, Petros Ngodzo and Joel Ngodzo.
His father used to play for Ceramics, a Division Two side and that’s when he developed an interest to play football.
Education
He attended Mzilikazi High School.
Career
Playing Career
Johannes Ngodzo started his career playing for the Highlanders Football Club juniors and subsequently graduated into the first team.
He was awarded Player of the Year at the age of 15 with the Highlanders juniors that had played the whole season without tasting defeat in the 1995 season.
They were coached by veteran Ali Baba Dube who has been credited for identifying the best talent in Bulawayo.
At the age of 17 in 1997, he was selected to play in the COSAFA tournament in South Africa.
He played in two of those tournaments because he was still very young. They won bronze in both tournaments.
Ngodzo’s exploits for the Bulawayo giants would eventually attract the interest of national team coach Sunday Chidzambwa.
Ngodzo’s world came crashing down on July 5 2003 when he sustained a serious injury the Warriors’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Eritrea at the National Sports Stadium.
He never regained full fitness after the injury and despite returning after a long layoff in 2004, he was never the same again.
Coaching Career
Ngodzo worked with former Chicken Inn coach Mandla Mpofu, former Highlanders goalkeeper Wonder Mpofu and former Highlanders utility player Chipo “Jack Roller” Tsodzo at Bantu Rovers.
He holds a ZIFA Level Four coaching certificate and worked with Bantu Rovers for more than five years. He was determined to attain a CAF C licence.
He was given the opportunity to coach the juniors but doubled as a senior team coach along with Methembe Ndlovu, Reuben Tsengwa and Gift Lunga Senior.
He guided Bantu Rovers to the Southern Region Division One championship at the end of the 2016 season.
Ngodzo was the assistant coach at Bulawayo City Football Club who won the 2019 ZIFA Southern Region Division One championship and was subsequently promoted into the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League for the 2020 season.
In May 2022, Ngodzo and Mduduzi Mpofu were appointed as Bulawayo City Football Club interim co-head coaches.
Ngodzo and Mpofu’s appointments came a day after Bulawayo City sacked their head coach Philani Ncube.
Ncube was fired on 02 May 2022 following a string of poor results. His sacking was preceded by a 1-0 defeat to Bulawayo Chiefs on 30 April.
He had managed one win, three draws and nine defeats from 13 games this season.
In March 2023, Njodzo resurfaced at Adachi Football Club as part of the club’s technical team.
Adachi’s technical team, which was led by Philani Ncube, also included former Highlanders’ goalkeepers’ coach Peter Nkomo.
Adachi Football Club was reportedly being sponsored by Australia-based Adrian Mtungwazi, who in July 2022, through his company, Adachi Disability Services gave Zimbabwe Saints a US$30 000 financial injection.
However, Chauya Chikwata were relegated from the ZIFA Southern Region Division One at the end of the 2022 season.