Moffat Mungazi
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
GROWING up without a mother, under the care of an unemployed father, in the arid Marange area, life was not a bed of roses for rising football star, Prosper Padera and his sister.
His mother died while he was barely out of childhood, and his financially incapacitated father, who strongly believed in his son’s football talents, had no choice, but to surrender the young boy to Manicaland Juniors of Excellence (MAJESA) for both upkeep and football talent nurturing.
As fate would have it, his father died just two weeks after surrendering the young Padera to MAJESA.
MAJESA is co-owned by Mutare businessman, Charles Chave and wife, Nomsa Chave.
Much as this was devastating to the young soul, to his credit, he soldiered on with his God-given gift of playing football, and it was not long before he earned the admiration and respect of, not only the MAJESA family, but all those who watched him doing what he knows best in the middle of the park.
No wonder, he was named the Marvelous Nakamba player of the tournament when MAJESA turned on the heat to win the inaugural edition of the junior football contest.
Today, through the assistance of former EPL player, Dexter Blackstock, the youngster is now in the books of Finland top side, SJK.
Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho, commonly referred to as SJK, also internationally SJK Seinäjoki, is a Finnish professional football club from the city of Seinäjoki. The club plays in the Veikkausliiga, the highest tier of the Finnish league system.
Charles Chave said: “This is surely by the grace of the Lord that Prosper Padera has made this life changing move. We received him at MAJESA when he was only 14 after his father came to us and told us that he could no longer take care of the child due to the financial challenges he was facing.
“We took him in and stayed with him at my place. Just after two weeks, his father passed on. The young man remained determined to uplift his life through the game of football. No one doubted his talents on the field of play.
“I am not surprised at all that he has joined the top Finland side. In fact, he is destined for greater heights, given his larger than life exploits on the field of play.”
The 18-year-old, nicknamed N’Golo Kanté owing to a similar type of play with the former Chelsea star, is taking SJK as a stepping stone in his promising football career.
Given that the youngster has impressed a number of teams where he had short-lived spells including Coventry City, Brentford as well as Israeli side, Maccabi Tel Aviv, prior to signing his maiden professional football contract for SJK, Padera could be on his way to become one of the most treasured Warriors’ midfielders.
