HARARE Zimbabwes latest football prodigy Knowledge Musona, now turning out for South African Premiership giants Kaizer Chiefs has for the first time spoken publicly about his humble beginnings and rise to stardom. The teenage sensation told South Africas leading soccer magazine Kick Off about his rapid development into one of the finest players who is believed to be the next Peter Ndlovu.
The 19-year-old Musona, who played for the Black Aces Youth Academy (BAYA) here in Zimbabwe was snatched up by Kaizer Chiefs six months ago before he had turned out for any of Zimbabwe’s Premier Soccer League clubs.
Although he starred for the national Under-17s, which he captained, the gifted target man was an unknown quantity on the local scene until his recent fabulous performances for the South African glamour club that have now shaken Zimbabwean football to its foundations.
Introvert
Musona, who is now back at his base in South Africa after spending the festive season with his family in Harare, was described by former national Under-17 coach Rodwell Dhlakama as an introvert.
And the soft-spoken Zimbabwe international says he owes his brother a lot for his helping hand which saw him rise from the dusty backyards of Norton to a life in the fast lane of the glamorous city of Johannesburg.
The supremely talented teenager says he was introduced to club football by his elder brother George.
“I am the fifth born in a family of six, Musona said, adding; My three sisters are all married. My younger brother Walter is doing Form One at my at Lord Malvern, where I did my Form Four while I was at Aces Youth Academy.
My elder brother George plays in the second division. My father is late and my mother is the only parent I have. I was born and brought up in a small township in Norton where I did my schooling until I was Form Four when I moved to Lord Malvern after I was recruited by Aces.”
Football boots
The rather quiet and unassuming Musona also revealed that like most teenagers kicking around plastic balls in the countrys low-income suburbs he did not have football boots when he started his football career.
“I did not want to play football at first because I was meeting big boys and did not have boots. My father worked at ZESA while my mother worked in a restaurant, he said.
The club owners bought me boots when I was Form One. My brother George invited me to play for his team, instead I played for their rivals. I did wonders for them. I eventually joined my brother’s team a year later. There I was spotted by Aces. That is when I realised I had to be serious with football. I stayed at the academy going to school in the morning and playing football in the afternoon.”
George also spoke about his sibling’s early days, saying that Knowledge was very good even when he was very young.
First game
“I encouraged him to take football seriously. I recruited him into my team Haka because I had seen how good he was. When he joined he scored in his first game, direct from a corner kick. It was not surprising that he was playing in the first team at only 14. I encouraged him to be strong when he felt scared,” said George.
The Kaiser Chiefs hitman also revealed that he sometimes feels homesick and is not very happy having to do house chores all by himself.
“I am still only 19 and obviously I miss my mom and family. But I have been coping because I was used to staying alone not seeing my mom when I was at Aces Youth Academy. I just have to adapt to this life of staying alone as cooking, washing and cleaning the house is sometimes not nice for a guy. At home if you have dirty clothes you just throw them into the washing dish and you know mom will wash them and also cooks for me and I do not have to stress about washing the pots.
When I go home I make sure I do something special for my family because they miss me as much as I miss them,” he said.
Musona has become the darling at Kaiser Chiefs Naturena base where they are always singing his name.
Post published in: Football