malvernmugadzikwa
Don Makanyanga
WHEN Qadr Amini suffered a career-threatening knee injury in 2017, the end of the road seemed nigh for him.
Things got even worse before the start of the 2018 season, when he aggravated the injury during pre-season training for that year.
Amini had suffered the injury while featuring for Ngezi Platinum Stars in a league match against Triangle at Baobab in December 2017. The injury was so bad it forced the versatile player to consider early retirement and it did not help matters when it flared up ahead of the 2018 season.
This time it left him grounded for the whole year.
His mother Zayanab Amini remained as defiant as she was hopeful that her son could overcome the pain and resume his work, even as he considered giving up.
However, Qadr required specialised care in South Africa in order to have a chance of recovering, particularly considering his past history of injuries from his time spent playing for FC Platinum, Dynamos and Gunners.
It also took some lenience on the part of the Ngezi club executives to agree to send the player for an operation in South Africa.
The Ngezi gesture was made against the backdrop of neglect of injured players by many local clubs.
But Qadr was fortunate to have both the costs of his surgery and rehabilitation catered for by Ngezi. The Amini family felt obligated to the platinum miners. This gesture warmed their hearts.
Ironically, Qadr’s contract with the club was set to lapse at the end of the same 2018 season when he was sidelined by injury.
He, however, agreed to new terms with the club, with the determination to win Premiership honours with them uppermost in his mind.
The defender, who is equally at home playing in midfield, had to wait another five years until he finally realised his dream of winning the championship with Ngezi.
And, as it turned out for him, 2023 became a year to savour, as he landed a treble of gold medals for his trophy cabinet.
Ngezi were crowned Premiership champions while he won the Castle Soccer Star of the Year and the club’s Best Player accolades. It was equally fulfilling for Zayanab, who has been an unsung heroine in Qadr’s career. “I would have loved to go on stage and thank Ngezi Platinum Stars publicly for their role in making sure Qadr played football again.
“When he suffered that injury in 2017, we thought that was the end of his career but Ngezi Platinum Stars came through and footed all his bills and helped with his recovery,” Zayanab said.
“Up to this day, thinking about the injury makes me cry. I thought that was the end of his career.
“I never envisioned Qadr playing again, let alone for him to be crowned Soccer Star of the Year and the Best Player for his team.
“The two awards came as a surprise.”
She also revealed that she had been instrumental in the extension of Qadr’s contract with Ngezi, using her motherly influence to swing the pendulum.
“I remember, when his contract was about to come to an end, I sat down with him and told him that he needed to extend his contract with Ngezi Platinum Stars and help them win a title because no other club would have done what Ngezi did for him.
“He did and here we are celebrating the Ngezi league title, and now he can do what he wants because I feel he has paid his debt at Ngezi Platinum Stars,” she said.
Online Reporter