Birds send olive branch to Zingawe

Bluebirds Ladies coach Malvin Khumalo has sent an olive branch to his wayward star striker and former Banyana Banyana international Zingawe Phkathi, pleading with her to return to the team to revive her ailing career.

Dubbed the prodigal daughter of Alex football, Zingawe went awol a few months ago after re-joining the team in mid-season last year. She just disappeared and never showed up at training, never even called to explain her predicament and the team went out of its way to call her and ask her to return, Khumalo said.

Her latest disappearing act came after a year and some months of being in the wilderness – after she had asked the coach at the end of the 2015 season to give her a transfer letter. There were suspicions that she wanted to join another Sasol Women’s League outfit, JVW Ladies of Banyana skipper Janine van Wyk, which never materialised.

After spending almost two years out in the cold, Alex News managed to persuade Khumalo to approach her and ask her to return, which she did last season but when she was still trying to regain her fitness and confidence, Zingawe returned to her old ways and disappeared again.

“I have asked Zingawe to come back and play with the team. This is a space where she can come back and revive her career. We want to start the 2018 season with her so she can share her experience with our younger players,” Khumalo said in an interview with Alex News on his plans for the upcoming season.

Zingawe, arguably the best female footballer to come out of Alex, could not be reached for comment, but Khumalo was not perturbed and added, “I am confident she will return after our private talks.”