FOR MARVELOUS’ FATHER, LIFE WAS REALLY TOUGH

Bruce Chikuni

IF you ever doubt that a child is a gift from God, Marvelous Nakamba’s father, Antony’s story should be a perfect reference.

Antony had a football gift, just like his son, and he featured in the domestic Premiership for Hwange as a goalkeeper.

He stopped playing football in 1998. At that time, Marvelous was just a four-year-old boy.

His career did not turn out as he had planned and he had nothing to show after retirement.

Life became unbearable and he thought relocating to South Africa was going to put an end to his misery.

But, that was not the case as he was jumping from one poorly paying job to another, until he decided to return home.

“After I retired from playing football, things took an ugly turn,” said Anthony.

“I struggled to get myself a good paying job to feed the family and it was really difficult for me to cope with the pressure.

“I worked all the types of jobs which you can think of, to try and live a decent life but the more I was trying, the more it was getting worse.”

Then, his son, Marvelous, started showing some glimpses of having potential in football.

He revealed he first picked the signs when Marvelous was just 14.

“I don’t know why it never popped into my mind that, maybe, Marvelous might also fall into the same trap like me and become jobless just like me when he retires,” he said.

“A lot of people were encouraging me to support him because of what they had seen when he was playing with other kids.

“Just like any other parent, my dream was to see him making it at the top but it’s only God who knew what he was planning for him.

“My role was to just support his dream.”

Marvelous then made his first foreign breakthrough when he joined Nancy FC in France, at the age of 17.

He signed an amateur contract with the club and the move did little to change the family’s financial situation but, in a way, it brought some hope. But, his move to Netherlands’ Vitesse breathed life to the family.

It opened bigger doors for his son who later forced his way into the EPL for Aston Villa.

Antony now owns a collection of stylish cars and he flies to Europe whenever he pleases.