It is still mid-morning in Tarragona, Spain, an ideal time to run errands before the weather gets oppressively cold.We make our way to the Nastic Sports Academy, the home to Kenyans like Ezekiel Nguwa, Aldrine Kibet, Ismael Odhiambo, Allan Kasavuli, and Amos Wanjala.The Academy is enveloped in a profound silence as the students are engrossed in a business administration course.##NAJAVA_MECA_8014493##The clock ticks towards noon, signaling the end of the lesson and the beginning of the weekend. With no afternoon training sessions scheduled, the students are granted the freedom to unwind. This weekend, there is no league match, and they have some good time off.Upon spotting us, Nguwa dashes towards us with a warm welcome and leads us to the dining area. Over lunch, the visibly excited youngster shares on his stay at the Spanish-based Academy.He was born on 17th June 2003 in Kilifi County, Kenya. He is the last born in a family of five and was raised by a single mother.Just like many footballers, Nguwa started playing at a very tender age, but his star began shining in 2017 when he was in class eight at Mwijo Primary School in Kaloleni, Kilifi County.“In 2017, a school official approached me and took me to Giant Killers where I sharpened my skills further,” he told Mozzart Sport.However, his dream was cut short when he joined high school at Malindi High School. The school did not emphasize football, leading the prodigy to play volleyball. In form three, his former coach Madam Timna offered him a golden opportunity to train with Mariakani All Stars until he completed school.Nguwa at Mariakani All StarsJust after he cleared from high school, the club collapsed due to management issues, and Nguwa resorted to playing street football. That was the avenue that caught the attention of Kenyan-born USA-based professional coach Devid Kenga who took him to train with Bandari Youth for two seasons.Having amassed a wealth of experience from the Coastal-based team, Nguwa played for the Rabai Red Stars for some months before turning up for the Nastic Sports Academy trials which would ultimately alter the course of his life.Nguwa with Coach David Kenga“In March 2023, I went for the trials. I qualified and Coach Kenga told me to go to St Anthony to gel with the rest of the team as they processed my traveling documents,” he vividly recalled.He bid Kenya goodbye on September 21, 2023, to join his teammates in the Nastic Soccer Academy (NSA) B.Six months later, the youngster leads the team’s scoring list with 18 goals and five assists. NSA B plays the Fourth Catalan League in Spain and is ninth in the league with 37 points. Nguwa’s name sits seventh on the league’s scoring chart.Nguwa in past action On the differences between the level of training in Kenya and Spain, Nguwa said, “The big difference is the training facilities. In Kenya, the grounds are not as good as here. Here, we play tikitaka football which Barcelona plays. The kids here are also started young. It is easy to teach them because they are young and eager to learn.”Over his six-month stay in the Academy, the prodigy has picked lessons or two that he applies in his daily life.“The biggest lesson I have picked is to work hard. When I first came, I was not that good. The first months here, I struggled to keep up with the talent level. But the coaches motivated me and told me that I had what it took and I listened and worked hard,” he revealed.The amazing transformation of ex-footballer Joseph Kinyanjui – from an armed gangster to a crime and drug abuse fighterHe urged fellow youngsters to not lose hope in life and to trust in God in everything they do.“Do not lose hope in whatever you do. In life, there are challenges highs and lows. The most important thing is not to give up. Keep fighting. Hard work can beat talent if talent is not working hard. Believing in God is the first step to success,” he offered.He extended his gratitude to his mother Leah Ponda Vaya, coach Kenga,Timna Dzame, the Giant Killers Football Team, and the Kilifi County Government for supporting him.He further thanked the Nastic Academy for welcoming him and offering him an avenue to sharpen his skills, noting that he was a professional footballer in the making.The youngster aims to represent Kenya in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as well as play for Manchester United in the future. He looks up to Jadon Sancho.Homeboyz have slight advantage ahead of Gor Mahia contest- Johnathan McKinstry
