When Prosper Padera’s jobless father desperately handed over his son to a football academy in Mutare, literally begging the owners to adopt him, he didn’t know that he would not live long enough to see his boy prospering.
Young Padera’s infectious smile these days is a display of triumph, from the bleakness of rural Zimbabwean life to a sudden huge leap into one of the top-flight leagues in European football.
That grin on his face is also a show of extraordinary inner-strength for somebody who, at only 19 years of age, has already experienced more misfortune and good luck than a lot of men much older.
Born in remote Bocha in Manicaland province, Padera was just a down-to-earth local lad in the village while growing up.
His biggest personal asset wasn’t anything tangible; it was a fantasy to become a professional footballer, and he was curious about what the future holds.
But family tragedy struck when he was still very young. His beloved mother passed away, quickly turning his life into a dark hole of uncertainty.
It was a devastating episode for a youngster who had been born in the most modest settings imaginable, yet not deprived of love and care.
He had been a happy kid despite his surroundings, and thankfully, his father, though unemployed, took over the role of a single dad in their home in Chikwariro Village in Marange district.
A few years down the line, noticing his son’s natural talent in football, Padera’s father took a leap of faith, a move that would make him the proudest dad in the world right now had he been around to see the fruition of his foresight.
Padera Senior died in 2021, to deal young Prosper yet another hammer blow, orphaned at 15?
Before his passing, Padera Senior – as if prophetic – had done something that would mark the beginning of his son’s spectacular transformation.
Father and son made the short trip to nearby Mutare, the province’s capital and Zimbabwe’s third largest city.
Majesa Academy co-founder and director Samson Kabwe vividly remembers the day Padera’s father visited their clubhouse with a packed suitcase.
“It was in 2021, I saw him and he introduced himself as Prosper’s father,” Kabwe says.
“What he simply told me was that he had come to watch his son play football, and we welcomed him as a parent.
“After training, he came to me, and I still remember what he said to me. He told me that he was relocating to the rural areas and needed to leave Prosper under our care.
“He even had a suitcase packed for the boy. Despite telling him about the protocol that needed to be followed before he could be accommodated, he insisted and begged us to accommodate him. Prosper’s father knew his son’s potential, and it’s very sad that he died shortly after and didn’t witness the boy’s breakthrough in football.”
At Majesa, football became Padera’s escape from the anguish of losing two loving parents. Fortunately, he had already been equipped with discipline and a work ethic that stood him in good stead at the academy.
“Prosper was a listening child growing up. He was disciplined and compliant,” Kabwe says. “He was a hardworking boy whose dream was to play in Europe.”
And then came the first major breakthrough for Padera.
The Majesa Academy diminutive midfielder was one of the hundreds of teenagers who took part in the Marvelous Nakamba Under-17 invitational tournament in Bulawayo in June 2022.
He was just 16.
Football stakeholders braved the chilly weather in Zimbabwe’s second-largest city and converged at White City Stadium to witness the tournament unfold, as Nakamba gave back to the community through the provision of a springboard for development.
Padera was even pictured trying to sneak into a picture with Nakamba, as star-struck youngsters scrambled to have a Kodak moment with the England-based Warriors midfielder.
The youngster was outstanding throughout and was named Player of the Tournament in what was a turning point in his career.
Padera’s exploits in midfield for Majesa finally got the attention he dreamt of. He was scouted by Prime Time Academy, owned by English footballer Dexter Blackstock, who turned out for Queens Park Rangers and Nottingham Forest.
Prime Time continued from where Majesa left off in the development of Padera. The only difference was that he was now being trained within the confines of European football, and in November 2024, Padera made a huge breakthrough.
The soft-spoken youngster broke new ground and joined Finland top-flight side SKJ Seinajok Football Club on a four-year contract.
He has never looked back.
Last week, in an incredible turn of events, three years after the Nakamba U-17 tournament, Padera played in a World Cup qualifier for Zimbabwe.
He was named in the starting line-up as the Warriors took on Rwanda in a Group C clash which ended 1-o in favor of the Central Africans in Johannesburg.
The enthusiasm on his face, when asked how it felt to represent Zimbabwe in a World Cup qualifier, didn’t require magnifying glasses to see.
It was a moment of pure and unfiltered youthful joy.
“I’m so excited to be honest, I can’t even express it,” Padera said.
Padera reveled in the chance to play alongside some of the most influential footb]allers in the country and expectedly mentioned Nakamba first, whose tournament gave him the platform to shine at that U-17 tournament in Bulawayo in 2022.
From trying to sneak into a picture with Nakamba, to training alongside him in national team colours!
“It’s so nice to see some of the big guys like Nakamba, if you look at the way they play and pass the ball, there is a lot of quality which I will benefit from. I will certainly learn from that,” Padera said.
Former Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) Technical Director Wilson Mutekede, who is now the head coach of Manicaland-based Premiership outfit Bikita Minerals, believes Padera’s rise to stardom is a reflection of the role of academies in the identification and nurturing of talent.
“The story of Prosper is amazing, and it sums up the role academies can play in terms of identifying talent for the national team,” remarks Mutekede.
“Majesa Academy should be very proud to see such a rapid development of a player. He is a kid we saw growing up in Mutare, and I also vividly remember the Nakamba tournament because I assisted them (Majesa) in preparation for it.”
Mutekede paid tribute to Nakamba for his efforts to uplift disadvantaged footballers in his home country.
“Marvelous himself should be excited to see Prosper playing against him in the national team, having financed the tournament in 2022, which somewhat resulted in the youngster’s breakthrough,” he says.
“Prosper himself must be pinching himself to make sure he isn’t dreaming upon the realisation that he is now a teammate of Nakamba’s, in the national team.”
The veteran coaching instructor described Padera’s rise as a miracle, which is a testament to what scouting and the nurturing of talent can do in modern football.
“It’s a testimony of what scouting and proper nurturing can do,” Mutekede adds. “We also need to give credit, with excitement that is, to the role Dexter (Blackston) played in opening doors for Prosper to further develop his football skills, resulting in the move to Finland.”
Nakamba and Warriors coach Michael Nees both showered Padera with praise, with the German expatriate in particular speaking of the need to give young players more opportunities, after the defeat to Rwanda in South Africa.
“We had two young players: Prosper (Padera) and Thando (Ngwenya). Prosper played well in midfield for a player of his age,” said Nees.
Dreams do come true.
