SAD NEWS Former Rollers, Chiefs, Nico coach Wesley Mondo dies

Nico United’s former coach Wesley Mondo has reportedly died in Zambia where he had mysteriously returned about three months ago without official notice to the Selebi Phikwe side.

It is not clear what ultimately took his life but reports say he had been living with a heart condition that might have been responsible for his inconsistent attendance of matches at Majombolo. Nico United’s spokesperson Mogomotsi Ace Orapeleng in January reported that their coach had gone absent without official leave, adding that they were irked by news of his resignation from the club without notifying them.

Orapeleng however revealed at the time that when they finally got hold of Mondo, he told them he was unable to join Nico because he was not well. Orapeleng at the time complained that Mondo had made  habit of not reporting for duty at the club. At about the same time in January, the former Zambia National Under 20 team coach was reported to be hospitalized for what Zambian media called ‘a heart condition’ at Lusaka’s University Teaching Hospital.

The Zambia Football Coaches Association Vice President Lewis Shambulo at the time told Zambia’s Daily Mail that the gaffer had been living with a heart problem. “Wesley Mondo has a heart problem, he is admitted in Ward G 11 where he is being treated for a heart condition,” he said.

While at Township Rollers for the 2010-11 season, Mondo had also found himself failing to report for duty on account of recurring ill health while at some point he had to attend to his ailing wife as well. It is likely that his life was taken by the same illness that made him miss work at both Rollers and Nico United while still in Botswana.

Mondo won the beMOBILE Premier League title with Rollers in 2011, the same year he was also crowned coach of the year. He joined Rollers in July 2010 after earlier coaching Mochudi Centre Chiefs. In Zambia, he coached Kabwe Warriors, Zesco United and Lusaka Dynamos among others.

REST IN PEACE: Wesley Mondo won the 2010/11 league title with Township Rollers