His parents regularly fly to Europe and his father Antony
now shuttles between Lusaka and Bulawayo in pursuit of business interests. The
football star can even afford his parents the honour of being chauffeur driven
as was the case when the Zimbabwe national team hosted Botswana in an Africa
Cup of Nations qualifier in Harare on November 15.
The 25-year-old Nakamba, who could only manage four O-Level
subjects at Njube High School in Bulawayo, is now arguably one of the highest
paid footballers in Southern Africa following his move to English Premier
League side Aston Villa on August 1.
With a weekly wage of about US$71 000, Nakamba is one of
the emerging rich Zimbabwean footballers, most of whom are living large. Some
are splashing money on expensive cars while others have ventured into
international businesses.
Khama Billiat, who earns R10 million (US$676 400) per year
at Kaizer Chiefs; Knowledge Musona, who is reportedly taking home about US$100
000 per month in Belgium and Nyasha Mushekwi who has raked in millions of
dollars in China, form part of this rich football gang.
Marshal Munetsi is also earning decently in the French
Ligue 1, so is Tino Kadewere at Le Havre in France and Teenage Hadebe who has
settled well in Turkey. Hadebe now has a transfer market value of about US$500
000 following his move to Turkish top flight side Yeni Malatyaspor on July 14,
2019.
However, there is no doubt that Nakamba, with a monthly
salary of around US$281 168 — roughly ZWL5 million when converted using the
official interbank rate — is now one of the richest people in Zimbabwe. If he
wants to, he can even afford to buy about 20 core houses in his childhood
high-density suburb of Mpopoma in Bulawayo every month end.
He earns roughly US$9 472 per day, enough to buy two good
second-hand Toyota Wish vehicles at most of Harare’s car sales. His hourly
return of US$395, which is about ZWL6 320, is enough to pay one term fees for
210 students at Chirimamhunga Primary School in Seke.
As a result of this huge fortune, Nakamba’s down-to-earth
mother, Charity Ngwenya, has had to be on the lookout for her son.
“We always tell him that this is his future, we will die
and he will take care of his siblings, we always encourage him to make
investments. He has already bought us a big house in the affluent suburb of
Sunninghill in Bulawayo and we are thankful for that.
“As the mother, I also want him to marry wisely, right now
he has a fiancée, Chipo. They grew up together in Mpopoma. A very humble girl,
she is the one I have endorsed,” she said.
Big striker Nyasha Mushekwi has raked in millions of
dollars since moving to China in 2016 and recently splashed US$120 000 on a
45-seater luxurious bus for his former club Caps United.
Former Warriors player George Mbwando hailed Mushekwi’s gesture
in a Facebook post last Monday.
“Well done young man, very inspiring to young footballers.
You now easily join the ranks of Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, Mo Salah, Sadio
Mane and many more who remember their roots. Big up to you!” posted Mbwando.
Mushekwi’s extravagant engagement ceremony with his Swedish
girlfriend Arsema Ghebrehiwot also rocked social media in January.
The couple, who had been on holiday in the Seychelles, took
an expensive helicopter ride to one of the Indian Ocean Island’s most stunning
spots, between mountains, for the engagement ceremony. The Seychelles Mountains
are synonymous with expensive helitours for some of the world’s rich and
famous.
Khama Billiat, who is the highest paid footballer in South
Africa with a monthly take home of about US$34 834, recently launched the Khama
Billiat Foundation, which donated sporting equipment and sanitary pads at his
former school Gwinyiro Primary in Mufakose.
Billiat has also been known to be extravagant when it comes
to his choice of wheels while his fashion taste has always attracted media
attention both in Zimbabwe and South Africa where he turns out for Soweto
giants Kaizer Chiefs. He got social media abuzz in August when he posted his
US$170 660 Range Rover Sport Lumma CLR RS, one of the numerous top-of-the-range
cars that the Mufakose-bred star drives.
Manchester City striker Sergio Augero is one of the world
stars who drive the same car as Billiat.
Stade Reims player Munetsi, who grew up in Mabvuku, has
also launched a foundation to assist kids in the high-density suburb, while
Nakamba is also toying with the idea of launching his own in Hwange where he was
born back in 1994. Could this be a signal that we could soon start seeing more
money from these rich boys trickling back into society?
Despite earning far much less than the likes of Nakamba,
Munetsi, Mushekwi and Billiat, 23-year-old Kadewere is said to be spoiling his
family a lot these days. Apart from buying a house for his mother, Kadewere
also bought a car each for all his siblings, a fact confirmed by his brother
Prosper.
He also sponsors a football tournament in Highfield, pays
school fees for needy kids in the high-density suburb and buys groceries for a
local old people’s home during every Christmas holiday.
Former Warriors captain Willard Katsande is known for his
love for sleek cars, but also sponsors an annual tournament in Sakubva, Mutare.
The big question is what are these football stars doing
with their huge figures?
Last Tuesday was International Men’s Day and BBC Sport
looked at sportsmen who have been involved in charity work.
France’s 20-year-old star Kylian Mbappe, who earns about
US$2,5 million per month at Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea legend Didier Drogba,
Liverpool striker Sadio Mane and Juan Mata of Manchester United are some of the
football stars heavily involved in charity work.
Mbappe grabbed the headlines when he revealed just before
the 2018 World Cup finals that he was giving his £17 000 per match appearance
fees to a charity initiative providing sporting activities for disabled
children.
Mata, who earns about US$168 000 per week, donates one
percent of his salary to charity, while Drogba has been building hospitals
through the Didier Drogba Foundation in his home country, Ivory Coast.
Mane, who rakes in around US$129 000 per week at Liverpool,
donated £200 000 to help build a school in his home country Senegal early this
year and has already been involved in the building of a hospital in the West
African nation.
Former Caps United and national team player Alois Bunjira
thinks Zimbabwean football stars like Billiat and Munetsi should be commended
forploughing back to the community.
“Usually, this happens out of passion and humanity. For
that I applaud them,” says Bunjira, adding, “There are so many disadvantaged
children who are always looking for assistance. If one is in a position to
assist and does that, then the nation and the universe will benefit.”
However, not all football stars look into the rear view
mirror and think of where they came from. Some blow money in top-notch night
clubs, others are renowned womanisers while some bet their way to poverty.
Wanisayi Mutandwa, who runs Mahwindo Foundation, said there
is nothing wrong with the boys ‘balling’, as long as they invest wisely.
“They should look at what the likes of Benjani (Mwaruwari)
have done with investments in the United Kingdom, France and South Africa. They
should follow (Nyasha) Mushekwi’s example of giving back to the community and
the club that raised him.
“They can have all the fun they want as long as they do not
end up as beggars on the street or die paupers. They need good management, not
just agents, but people that handle their investments and philanthropic
affairs,” said Mutandwa.
Former England talisman Paul “Gazza” Gascoigne’s name
quickly comes to mind when riches-to-rags stories are told.
Gazza made millions of pounds during an illustrious career
that took him to Tottenham and Lazio before featuring for England in the 1990
World Cup semi-finals. However, upon retirement, Gazza’s life has been
dominated by severe mental and emotional problems emanating from alcoholism.
Rich footballers have also fallen prey to ladies who are
always scheming to lure them to bed, usually for monetary gains.
England television personality, columnist and former escort
Helen Wood was once quoted by the Daily Star narrating how girls prey on their
victims, in this case English footballers.
“This is a profession to these girls — they will snuff out
where the footballers are and head over to that club. They are known in the
industry as table whores. I’ve known girls who have checked out the fixtures to
see who’s in town and monitored the scores to see who will be out celebrating
that night so they will recognise them,” Wood said.
It also happens locally.
There are some up-market ladies who are always trailing
these rich Warriors players whenever they come home during holidays or for
international games.
“It’s easy to notice a group of footballers in a club. They
always want a big table, some want VIP enclosures,” said a Harare lady who
refused to be named.
Yet, there are other footballers or former players like
former Zimbabwean captain Benjani Mwaruwari, who despite their liking for the
bottle, have maintained their wealthy status —years after retiring.
Mwaruwari played in South Africa, Switzerland, France and
England, where he still owns properties.
Football has become a major industry and one of the most
rewarding sectors in the world.
You have to look at Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s
mega earnings to appreciate just how rewarding it is. The pair, which sits on
top of world football, earns an estimated US$712 784 each per week, enough to
buy struggling Castle Lager PSL side Mushowani Stars’ franchise and remain with
over US$400 000 change.
The top earning player in the English Premier League is
Manchester United and Spain goalkeeper David de Gea, who rakes in about US$485
000 a week.
Arsenal’s out of sorts forward Mesut Ozil earns about
US$452 031 per week while Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling is at about
US$387 455 per week.
Paul Pogba is the fourth highest earner in the EPL with a
weekly wage of about US$374 540.
Liverpool and Egypt star Mohamed Salah earns about US$258
000 per week at Anfield and is the highest paid African footballer in the EPL. Sunday
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