By OnSport Reporter
Nkayi United and Zimbabwe Under 17s assistant coach Khonzani Ncube has hailed Barry Daka for moulding him into the current success he is enjoying.
Ncube, who is a teacher by profession and is stationed at Mzilikazi High School, has won several accolades at the school and in lower division football.
After an interview of Daka was released by the DiasBhora Podcast on YouTube, Ncube was quick to speak glowingly of his mentor.
“I was under Barry’s wings for about four years when I started my coaching journey both at Mzilikazi and White Birds,” Ncube revealed. “He really helped me a lot in terms of understanding the game tactically and player management. It was devastating to lose him but I’m happy that I gained a lot from him.
Ncube (44) said that he took Daka along with him to a competition in Harare in 2015 when he took charge of Mzilikazi for the first time.
“I had to take Barry along because I needed him by my side. We were playing at Prince Edward and we won the competition. It opened more doors for the both of us. There is a lot I can talk about him,” he said.
Ncube nicknamed Mboma also mentioned his current head coach at Nkayi Daniel Ndlovu as another mentor that helped him in his career.
His career history paints the picture of a coach who excels on dual tracks. Since 2015, he has been the architect of a football dynasty at Mzilikazi High School, masterminding numerous national and provincial championships at the U15, U17, and U20 levels, including the coveted U20 Coach of the Year award in 2016.
Under his tenure, Mzilikazi has produced the likes of Highlanders players Andrew Mbeba, Darlington Mukuli, Prince Ndlovu, Bulawayo Chiefs’ Matripples Muleya, Nkayi hotshot Nhlanhla Fumapano amongst others.
Concurrently, his senior club journey is a testament to building winners. He began with White Birds FC (2015-2019), securing promotion and an 18-match unbeaten run. He built an exciting team that had Chicken Inn goalkeeper Aaron Ngwenya in goals, Manica Diamonds defender Arthur Ndlovu and Pelias Sibanda as center backs with Chiefs’ Gabriel Dlodlo and Gift Gumpo operating as the wing backs.
He later steered CIWU FC (2020-2022) and Ratanang FC (2022-2023) before his current role at Nkayi United.
At Nkayi United, his impact has been immediate, delivering back-to-back third-place finishes in the Southern Region Division One and the Chief Dakamela Cup in 2025. This pedigree earned him a spot with the Zimbabwe National Under-17 team at the 2025 Region 5 Games in Namibia.
His team Nkayi missed out on promotion last season after displaying some impressive football as they finished third. Lots of expectations are on them for the 2026 season.
