BY SIZANI WEZA
UNITED States-based talented Zimbabwean soccer ace Azriel Kalin Johnson, has opened up about his reasons for choosing United States education instead of going professional.
Johnson, son of former Warriors left-back Allan Johnson and a Malawian mother, is one of the several budding Zimbabwean players playing college soccer in the US while also pursuing their studies.
The talented midfielder could, however, have pursued a professional career after impressing scouts while turning out for Malawi in the 2016 Cosafa U20 tournament.
After the Cosafa tournament, Azriel was invited for trials in Denmark where he spent four weeks at Hobro IK before South Africa’s top clubs such as Orlando Pirates and Amazulu offered him a chance for trials, leaving him with a big decision to make.
Presented with two options — to go professional or further his education — Johnson chose the latter, a decision he says he does not regret.
“It was really hard for me because obviously my dream is to become a professional,” he explained. “But at a young age like that, and talking to my parents, I felt like it was not the right thing to do. So I decided to go to school,” he said.
“I do not regret it. I experienced a new culture and basically changed my whole lifestyle.”
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When St Benedict’s Preparatory School in New Jersey offered him a full scholarship, he accepted the offer, which came with the challenge of integrating into a team that was considered the best in the US.
Azriel did not disappoint. His team completed a perfect football season in his first year; and he was named captain in his final high school year. He relishes the moment. “I did not really think of it as me being a captain. It was more of leading young guys into basically the same mentality I had,” he added.
And that came with his school’s participation in the Dallas Cup tourney in two consecutive years. The tournament allows academies in the US to invite clubs from across the world.
They include big clubs from England and Japan. It was at this tournament where Azriel rubbed shoulders with the likes of Mason Greenwood and Tahith Chong of Manchester United Football Club.
Zimbabwean stars such as Marvelous Nakamba, Teenage Hadebe and Kuda Mahachi have also previously featured in the Dallas tourney, which is also fertile recruitment ground for MLS academies and colleges.
Despite the flourish of international stars at the Dallas tournament, Azriel’s school won the tournament in 2018 and were finalists during the year he was captain.
“A lot of eyes were on our team and a lot of colleges were interested and some MLS academies were interested in us,” he recalls.
Azriel says his choice of Salt Lake Community College instead of the so-called prestigious universities was a sentimental one.
“People want to go to the big colleges that you see on television and you are very familiar with,” he says. “I felt that I wanted to go somewhere where I am comfortable; where I know that if I go to this team I’m going to work hard and everyone is going to work hard; where everybody is motivated and not materialistic.”
In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Azriel is one of over 1 300 Zimbabwean students in the US. With matches suspended, Azriel took time to share his journey with Zimbabwean prospects keen to follow in his footsteps in an interactive online discussion from his base at Salt Lake Community College in Utah.
Azriel, a sports management major, has adapted to life during the Covid-19 pandemic.
For the young soccer ace, the adjustment has been swift because key elements of his studies were already conducted online.
“I feel that being in America as a student in general makes it easier because I was already doing a few online classes,” said Azriel, who is staying in an apartment on campus. He is taking all classes online.
Azriel started his football and education journey at Prince Edward School in Harare, but later opted for home schooling after participation in sports started affecting his performance in class. He opted for home-schooling, but continued training with Aces Youth Soccer Academy.
Born in Zimbabwe, his maternal grandparents hail from Malawi, which explains his decision to represent Malawi in the 2016 Cosafa Under-20 tournament in South Africa.
Since he has not played for the senior team, the Flames of Malawi, he can change his mind and feature for the Zimbabwe Warriors, according to Fifa rules.
The young star, with four caps for the Malawi national Under-20 soccer team, has left the door open for playing for Zimbabwe should he make the cut.
“I do not know. I feel like when the decision has to be made I would choose at that time where,” he says.
