Langton Nyakwenda
Zimpapers Sports Hub
EDWARD SADOMBA has described North African side Al Hilal as a great team that changed his life after the former Zimbabwe international was ranked as the best-ever forward to have played for the Sudanese giants in the 21st Century.
Sadomba, who starred for Al Hilal between 2009 and 2012, tops a list of five players that was released by respected Ghana media outlet Africa Soccer Zone recently.
Karika, Motez Kabier, El Tahur and Mohammed Abdelrahman complete the top five list.
“I give credit to God the Almighty; he has given me the grace to be recognised among the best, and it’s a legacy for the generations to come,” Sadomba told Zimpapers Sports Hub.
A decade after leaving Sudan, Sadomba remains a cult hero in the North African country.
He broke a number of records at Al Hilal.
Sadomba is still Al Hilal’s all-time top scorer and won four league titles and FA Cups with the Sudanese giants.
He is the first African to win the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup top scorer award consecutively in 2011 and 2012.
He scored seven goals during the 2011 CAF Champions League campaign and five the following year when Al Hilal featured in the CAF Confederation Cup, sharing the award with Rudy Guelord Bhebey-Ndey (AC Leopards) and Ismaila Diarra (CO Bamako).
“I enjoyed my life at Al Hilal, and I still think about that stint.
“They (Al Hilal) are a great team; they changed my life, their fans are amazing and very supportive.
“That’s why they are one of the best teams in Africa,” said Sadomba.
Al Hilal have been home to several football stars, including Karika, who won multiple league titles with the club between 2008 and 2018.
Motez Kabier, who is also among the top five best forwards list, won three consecutive Golden Boot awards in the early 2000s.
Abdelrahman made history in November 2020 when Al Hilal paid US$1 million to sign him from Algerian side CA Bordj Bou Arreridi.
But they have all been dwarfed by Sadomba, whose exploits are still the talk of Sudanese football a decade after the Mbare-bred former star left North Africa.
Now 43 and retired, Sadomba is still among the top five all-time top scorers in Africa’s inter-club competitions with 33 goals.
Former TP Mazembe gunman Tresor Mputu leads the charts with 56 goals.
“It’s an honour to be still remembered years after retiring from the game.
“Sometimes you don’t realise that you are making history until you are told about it,” added Sadomba.
His son El Shaddai is following in his footsteps as he is now part of Zimbabwe’s Under-23 side.
