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Eddie Chikamhi,Senior Sports Reporter

TINO Kadewere’s steady rise to the highest level of football in France has seen an upsurge of young talent flocking to join Highfield Soccer Academy, which nurtured the 24-year-old forward from a young age.

The Warriors forward successfully completed a mandatory medical check-up yesterday to confirm his €15 million (US$17m) deal from French second-tier side Le Havre to the top-flight club, Lyon.

Kadewere is a product of the Highfield Soccer Academy, which apparently was a brainchild of his late father, Onias.

The late football coach, and administrator, founded the Academy in the 1990s and introduced all his sons to the game through the school of excellence.

The Lyon striker comes from a football family and it seems he has outshone all his brothers – Prince, Prosper and Pardon – who were all fine footballers.

Their father had a strong passion for grassroots development.

He was the chairman of the ZIFA Harare Province coaches and was also instrumental in the creation of High Glen League, which he was also the chairman, before he passed away in January 2015.

But Tino took over the project after the death of his father and launched a memorial junior tournament which celebrated its fourth edition last year.

It is unfortunate Onias could not live to see and celebrate the success story of his son.

One of the Kadewere siblings, Prosper, yesterday said there was boundless joy in the family home this week following his brother’s Lyon jackpot.

“We are all excited as a family because this is something that does not happen every day,’’ he said.

“Not that we didn’t expect it to happen, but having one of your own scaling the heights, and playing in one of the top European football leagues, is something special.

“Surely, we ought to thank God for this.”

Prosper, who is now one of the directors of the Highfield Soccer Academy, described Tino’s move as a huge inspiration to the youth in Highfield and beyond.

Even the elderly, who usually discouraged their children to pursue football as a career, have seen the light, especially after the establishment of the Kadewere Foundation, which has helped disadvantaged children in the community pay for their school fees.

“There are some vital lessons from this. In life, you cannot achieve anything tangible through short-cuts.

“There is no doubt Tino has the talent but he has also shown that hard work pays.

“These three things are important – patience, hard work and discipline.

“Since his story started coming out, we have seen a lot of children coming to the academy.

“The numbers have actually increased and it’s obvious that they have been inspired by Tino’s journey.

“Even those of the older generation, who used to say ‘bhora ndere marombe,’ they are beginning to appreciate how football can transform lives, especially with the Kadewere Foundation that we started last year.

“This Foundation has helped a lot of people in the community and it’s all because of football,” said Prosper.

Tino cut his football teeth at his father’s academy before making a name at Harare City.

In 2015 he moved to Sweden after signing for Djugardens.

“I am not sure about it (if the Academy will receive anything from the blockbuster move) this time around.

“But when he moved from Sweden to France for the first time, we got something. So, we are just waiting to hear from his agent,” said Prosper.

FIFA regulations stipulate that a club that nurtured a player from the age of 12 years to 23 years is entitled to a training compensation for the time-frame that the player was effectively registered with them.

In Kadewere’s case, unless there was a clause which specifically stated that the academy should benefit directly from his every move, his Lyon deal came just about three weeks late.

He turned 24 on January 5 this year.