Sadomba reflects on his rags to riches journey

Curtworth Masango

Former Zimbabwean international forward, Edward Sadomba, says his football exploits have seen him being honoured in Sudan.

Speaking at an Open Gold business symposium held at a local hotel, Sadomba said the corporate world should always consider partnering themselves and being involved in football as it presents great business opportunities.

Sadomba believes football has the power to transform lives from poverty to riches.

Sadomba narated his own story from being one of those poor boys from the streets of Mbare who transformed his life through football to build a US$2.1 million mansion.

“Football has turned out to be a big business. If you look at the recently held World Cup, the value of players surpassed US$2 billion, while the trophy they were playing for is just around US$42 million. It really signals that there is a lot of business in football, and we should follow that same path,” he said.

Sadomba said football changed his life immensely from rags to riches after he lost his father at a young age.

“Whatever you are doing, everything is possible. I started my career without anything. My mother had to take care of us without anything. I started to play in Mbare and Dynamos in the local league. I then went to South Africa before going to Sudan.

“I have managed to build a US$2.1 million mansion, but I am just a boy who grew up in Mbare without a father. In business, put God first in whatever you do because there will be demons trying to drag you down.

“I am a football ambassador in Sudan, I used to stay at the same table with former President Omar al-Bashir and his ministers and ambassadors,” Sadomba said.

Open Gold Engineering managing director, Vincent Chawonza, who is also involved in grassroots football development, said his passion is in empowering all Zimbabweans economically by imparting business skills to them.

“We are here to empower young Zimbabweans through business skills. I am a young man who has also made it in business, so it has always been my wish to impart economic knowledge to other young Zimbabweans and empower ourselves as per our Government calls as a people.

“Sharing knowledge is requisite for everyone and we will continue having these symposiums in future.

“Sadomba is one of the most celebrated footballers in the country and having him share his experience with us also motivates a lot of budding businesspeople in a number of ways that everything is possible,” said Chawonza.