Sadomba reveals unfulfilled dreams

Sport
Many an upcoming footballer would die to achieve what he has achieved in his illustrious career, but veteran winger and former Zimbabwe international Edward Sadomba feels he still has some unfinished business at Dynamos.
Edward Sadomba lifts the Charity Challenge Cup after Dynamos’ victory over CAPS United at the National Sports Stadium last Sunday

BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE

Many an upcoming footballer would die to achieve what he has achieved in his illustrious career, but veteran winger and former Zimbabwe international Edward Sadomba feels he still has some unfinished business at Dynamos.

His is a rags-to-riches story that saw him rise from the dusty streets of Mbare to reach the CAF Champions League semi-finals with Dynamos in 2008 and winning the Golden Boot in the prestigious tournament four years later playing for 27-time Sudanese champions Al-Hilal Football Club.

Sadomba also won a number of championships and signed some lucrative contracts in South Africa, Mozambique, Libya, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates.

While he is grateful for all the success he achieved, he rues failing to fulfil some of his dreams.

“I am very happy with my achievements so far. I thank God that I have done well in my career and God has blessed me so much, so I want to thank God for that,” he said in an interview with The Sports Hub.

“But there are so many unfulfilled dreams, things I had set myself as targets when I started playing football. I would have loved to help the national team qualify for and also win the Africa Cup of Nations.

“I also would have wanted to help Zimbabwe go to the World Cup as well as help Dynamos win the CAF Champions League. Those are the ambitions I had before, but it’s sad that I am about to retire without achieving them.”

Sadomba recently completed a return to Dynamos after a 10-year absence for what he hopes will be his swansong before bringing the curtain down to a career spanning almost two decades.

His mission at the Glamour Boys is to make sure that the team endears itself with supporters again, a relationship that seems to have broken last season after the team flirted with relegation from the Premiership.

“It feels so great to be wearing this jersey again and I must also thank God that I am back at Dynamos, the club that gave me fame. I just want to give 100% effort so that we can bring our fans back and fill the stadiums again,” he said.

Last week, Sadomba showed that he still possesses the pace and skill that terrorised defences across Africa when he scored one of the two goals in a pre-season charity match against arch-rivals CAPS United.

He explains how he has been able to maintain that burst of pace throughout his career.

“It’s all about taking care of your body, training, getting some rest and I don’t drink or smoke, so it’s an advantage to me. That’s how I have managed to keep myself fit and quick,” revealed Sadomba.

But how has he handled being a superstar and fitting in a Dynamos side that is virtually full of unknown players?

“It’s not about being a star, it’s about being a family. At Dynamos, we are a family, we have to be at the same level working together for us to achieve great things.

“But I have been impressed with the talent that we have in the team this season. There are so many great youngsters and, as you may know, Tawanda Chisi and Kudzai Dhemere have been called into the Under-23 national team. It means that we are doing something and there is great improvement in the team,” he said.

“Duduza”, as Sadomba is popularly known, with the help of his wife Sherlynn has already established a number of business concerns in and outside the country, but vows to remain in football when he hangs his boots at the end of the season.

“I have said it before, this is my last season of playing. I just want to do my best. I am already into business, so I will be focusing more on that when I stop playing. But I would like to be involved in football so that those upcoming players will benefit from my experience. I just want to give back the things that I have learnt to the younger generation,” Sadomba said.

A Christ Embassy devotee, Sadomba has ventured into the oil and shipping businesses while he has invested a lot in property.