Munyaradzi “Yaya” Chitambwe:a footballer, graduate

MUNYARADZI Chitambwe opposes the belief in many people that a footballer cannot also be good academically.

He graduated recently at the National University Of Science and Technology (Nust) with a degree in Sports Science.

He opened up on the struggles which he faced along the journey which led to him taking a break from professional football to focus on his studies.

“One of the most difficult things that one can face in his life is to balance education and football. It has been a very long and difficult journey. I think the most difficult part was when I had a knee injury which kept me out of action for a very long time. When I returned, the pressure at school was now very high so I had to end up taking a break from professional football. Look where I am and what I have achieved now, I can now go back and play the game I enjoy and love the most,” said Chitambwe.

The 26-year-old started his career at the famous Bantu Rovers Academy alongside the likes of Bukhosi Sibanda and he was also part of the team which won the Zifa Southern Region Division One League in 2016 and got promoted to the Premier League as a 19-year-old.

He made his debut in the Premier League with Bantu as an Advanced Level pupil at Gifford High School for a season before joining Bulawayo giants Highlanders in 2018.

He was part of the Bosso squad which won the Chibuku Super Cup in 2019.

He then left Bosso to join Northern Region Division One side Golden Eagles in 2020 and narrowly missed out on promotion with the side in 2022. He then decided to focus on his studies and now that he has graduated many teams might be looking to put pen to paper with him since he is a free agent.

The physical defensive midfielder advises young footballers to balance education and sport if possible, and let people know that both can be explored at the same time.

“My advice to younger guys, especially those still at school, try and manage both. It is not easy but it can be done. There are many professional players who we look up to abroad who earn a lot of money but they are still pursuing their studies, therefore I urge my fellow football players to try and balance both if possible,” said Chitambwe.