Vitalis Dlamini, the footballer who aced his degree

VITALIS Dlamini is not your average footballer. He has proven that football and academics can go hand in hand, as he has excelled in both fields. He is now a proud graduate and a degree holder in Sports Science and Coaching.

The 25-year-old was a star student at the National University of Science And Technology (Nust), where he also captained the school team that competed in the Bulawayo Province Division Two League.

Dlamini, who has many talents, did his attachment at Highlanders, one of the biggest clubs in Bulawayo, as a fitness trainer in 2022. He shared how this experience helped him improve his skills.

“At a big team like Bosso, there is a lot of pressure constantly. Everyone has to do his or her job with perfection and me for example, I was questioned when players picked up injuries as it was my job to make sure that players were in good condition. It taught me a lot, for example to work under pressure and make sure that everything is perfect,” he said.

Dlamini is not done with his academic ambitions. He said he wants to pursue his Masters in his field, but he faces financial challenges. He is considering becoming a referee for this year’s campaign, as he has the qualifications to do so, and use the money to fund his studies.

The former Hwange reserve team player and a champion with Bosso in the 2022 Independence Cup said he hopes that more players will take their academics seriously, as it will benefit them after their football careers. He also revealed how he managed to balance both.

He said: “The problem is that many young football players had their minds clouded by the beliefs that a player cannot be a good student or pupil which is very wrong. I hope that many players will also take this route and also put in the effort in their academics as it would help them one day.

“The football career is very short and there cannot be an assurance that you might stay as a pro for a long time with the injuries and at times general misfortunes in the sport. In balancing both for me it was all about time management. If you manage your time well for both, it becomes easy, I believe that was my superpower. I just hope that many youngsters are inspired by my story.”