adminBruce Chikuni
YADAH Stars are not only spiritually guided by their owner, Prophet Walter Magaya, but they also have an infield player, Apostle Vincent Sango, who fights demons on the pitch.
Many thought it was just one of those strange nicknames, but the 23-year-old is actually an Apostle for the Fountain of Life Ministry.
Sango was by a distance the club’s most promising player in the just-ended Castle Lager Premiership campaign. The winger caught the attention of many through his dribbling ability.
He made his debut earlier this year for the Miracle Boys, but it didn’t take him time to adjust to the demands of the top-flight league.
Sango revealed that it was against his will to play professional football, but Prophet Magaya showed him the bigger picture.
Sango said he is not a footballer, but an apostle who plays football.
“I went to Yadah with no intention of joining the team. I was playing for Mabvuku Select and we were invited to play against the Miracle Boys.
“The prophet was there and in no time, he liked me. He thought I was trying to please him since most of my teammates were desperate to get his attention,” said Sango.
“They were conducting trials for the senior team just like they regularly do, then the coaches approached me. They were surprised when I told them that I was not interested because I’m a man of God and I have a ministry.
“They went back and told Prophet Magaya, and he asked to see me.
“I told him the same thing and he shared with me words of wisdom and promised that he would create a conducive environment for me to allow the two to coexist.”
Sango admitted that he was sceptical about the move, but his family backed him to give it a try.
He hailed Yadah Stars for honouring their promise, as his priorities always come first.
“It’s always church first and it means I miss some games. My coaches and teammates understand and they even know my church programmes.
“At times, they make jokes of my schedules and I believe if I didn’t have that supportive environment, I would have stopped playing a long time ago,” he said.
He showered praise on Prophet Magaya for being supportive of his ministry.
“He is somewhat humble for a man of his size. The prophet respects me to a point that even my team mates can’t believe it.
“Whenever we meet, the first thing he talks about is church. He gives me the knowledge, guides me and leads me with love.
“And, I have learnt a lot from him. I’m forever grateful.” Apostle insisted that he will not leave Yadah for any local team.
He confirmed that he turned down a lucrative offer from Dynamos.
Reports also linked him to Chicken Inn, Ngezi Platinum Stars and Manica Diamonds.
“Before I joined Yadah, Dynamos offered me a good contract, but I was not interested because I knew they wouldn’t allow me to do what I love to do. “I have rejected offers from different clubs, but in all honesty, Yadah is the only team that can accommodate me.
“Dynamos plays on Sunday, which means I won’t be at church all season and I can’t trade my calling for football.
“I went to Kenya for about 10 days to minister there in March and most of these teams would have not allowed such a thing to happen.”
Apostle was born and bred in Mabvuku, and he said had not been for God’s intervention, he would have been dead due to drug abuse or street fighting.
“I didn’t go to church much before I became a born-again Christian. But I’m so grateful to God that I was able to avoid drugs which most of my friends were into.
“I’m certain that if I had gotten myself into drugs, I would have been dead by now because I loved fighting too much. I was short-tempered to a point where it would get me into trouble, and that’s when I converted.”
Online Reporter