for Zimbabwe’s top-flight league champions Caps United, said the award would be a major boost for him.
“I am very happy to become the first foreigner to be named soccer star of the year in Zimbabwe and I dedicate it to my country…this shows that I am a true ambassador.
“I will not rest on my laurels, in fact the award will give me the hunger for better achievements,” said the 20-year-old wonderboy in a recent interview.
He is scheduled to visit Belgium shortly for three weeks of trials with topnotch side Germinal Beerschot.
He added: “I want to assure the soccer fraternity back home that I won’t let them down. This could be a chance of a life time and I don’t want to waste such an opportunity.”
Caps and Zimbabwe national soccer team coach Charles Mhlauri said Kamwendo deserved the award.
“It’s not surprising, everybody expected Kamwendo to win the award because he has been very outstanding throughout the season. He is a genius who is destined for greatness and I have no doubts that he will make it in Belgium,” said Mhlauri.
Malawian soccer supremo Walter Nyamilandu hailed the award, saying: “As a country, we are very proud that our ambassador has won such a prestigious award and if this is repeated elsewhere, then we can have a good crop of players in the national team.
I have no doubt that he will make it in Belgium because he has lots of potential and that’s where I would like to see most local stars play. We need to have players of the calibre of Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and Samuel Eto’o.”
The boy wonder, who was also voted player of the year in the MBC Entertainers of the Year programme two years ago, was expected to play his last match for Caps Sunday against Black Rhinos in a crucial league decider.
Kamwendo becomes the second Malawian to win the player of the year award in a foreign land. Legendary midfield maestro Ernest ‘Wire’ Mtawali also became the first foreigner to win the player of the year award in South Africa two decades ago.
Post published in: Zimbabwe Sports News