Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Collin Matiza
4 November 2008
Harare — LEON NDUNDUMA, the gifted midfielder of former Premier Soccer League side Black Aces, has died.
Ndunduma passed away last week at the family home in Harare's high-density suburb of Mufakose after a short illness.
He was 54.
Ndunduma, who is survived by two sons -- Itayi (27) and Keith (17) -- was buried at Warren Hills Cemetery.
Leon was the first born in the Ndunduma family, which also produced the legendary former Zimbabwe international tearaway winger, the late Stanley "Sinyo" Ndunduma.
Stanley Ndunduma, the two-time Soccer Star of the Year award winner in 1981 and 1985, died in a car accident in Swaziland on November 2, 1994.
But it is the latest death of Leon which has robbed the Ndunduma family of another fine and dedicated sportsman who was also a gentleman both on and off the pitch.
Leon started his soccer career in Mufakose in the early 1970s when he joined an amateur side, Mufakose Pumas, before moving to Dragons, who were coached by former Dynamos chairman Morrison Sifelani. From Dragons, Leon took his skills to the then Super League side KB Rockets, who were based in Kwekwe, in the late 1970s.
But he did not stay long at KB Rockets, moving back to Harare to join Black Aces and featured for the Highfield-based side with his younger brother Never.
At Black Aces, Leon and Never rubbed shoulders with fellow talented players such as the late Roderick "Doctor" Muganhiri, Archieford Chimutanda (late), David Muchineripi (late), Peter Manyara, Charles Mapila, Fresh Chamarengah and the Kuwana brothers Bernard and George.
While Leon and Never were making their names at Black Aces, their younger brother Stanley was also slowly establishing himself as one of the finest right-wingers to emerge from this country in the late 1970s when he was turning out for CAPS United.
A leg injury was to later force Leon to hang up his boots in the mid-1980s before he turned his hand to coaching.
As a coach, Leon was involved with lower division sides in Marondera -- GMB Marondera, Cosco and the Mashonaland East provincial Under-17, Under-19 and Under-20 teams.
Apart from coaching in Marondera, Ndunduma, who was a holder of Zifa's Level Four coaching certificate, was the Sport For All assistant regional manager for Mashonaland East at the turn of the new millennium.
He also worked as the office administrator for the Zimbabwe Soccer Coaches' Association, which is headed by Nelson Matongorere.
At the time of his death, Leon was no longer active in the coaching field.
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