On one side, the mission is almost complete for football star Gabriel Nyoni as he sits for his final examination on Friday 20 May, 2016.

It has been a hectic four years of trying to juggle between football and his academic pursuits. Finally, the dream Bachelor of Commerce Honours Degree in Marketing is nearer to reality. What’s now left? It’s the burning ambition in him to take his football career to stratospheric levels.

The 24-year-old Highlanders forward revealed he will now dedicated all his energies to the football pitch without the stress of having to meet the deadlines for assignments.

But for all the achievements in his youthful life, Nyoni believes completing his degree studies ranks the highest.   

“I have lifted big trophies before and won some memorable and great awards in my life, for instance Mbada Diamonds Cup, the Mbada Diamonds Cup top goal scorer and the Easycall Cup to mention but a few. 
“But it lies within the next seven days for me to lift one of the biggest trophy of my life, that is a Bachelor of Commerce Honours Degree in Marketing trophy.

“It has been four years of great determination , focus , prayers and support from you my friends and fans as well, without forgetting the great institution of highlanders and its great fans who some have become my best friends.

“Best wishes from you as I encounter my last mile will mean a lot. The race is about to end. After seven days it will be football commitment,” Nyoni on his Facebook page.

The former Young Warriors forward believes he still has a great future in football, which should take him to the great European shores.

Nyoni has put academics ahead of everything else and has not disappointed in this pursuit. After scoring 13 points (Business Studies A, Economics B and Accounts B) at Pamushana High School in 2011, he enrolled at NUST to begin his four-year journey which was intertwined with a promising career in football.

Nyoni started playing football at Burombo Primary School in Masvingo where he was captain of the senior school team when he was doing Grade Seven in 2004. They beat Mufakose Primary School in the finals of National Association of Primary School Headmasters (NAPH) championships.

He then proceeded to Mucheke High for secondary education where he quit football at the insistence of his parents to concentrate on his studies.

However, he returned to the game in Form Three in 2007 where he was spotted by Pamushana High School coach Alfonso Jaka and was awarded a scholarship.

At “O” Level, Nyoni had three As in English, History and Environmental Science and scored Bs in Mathematics, Accounts, Geography and Shona.

The Masvingo born once told a local media that he was on a mission to prove that sport does not affect one’s education.

“There is this belief among many people that football players are not good at school, but I want to prove them wrong and follow in the footsteps of the likes of Tauya Murehwa (former Dynamos striker who is a medical doctor by profession). I believe marketing and football go hand in hand and my dream is to play in Europe in future.”

Nyoni joined Highlanders in January from Masvingo United where he had scored 19 goals before coming to college.

Here is an inspirational nugget from him:

“#‎Motivational message ... Your time is limited don't waste your time living someone's life. Don't live with the results of someone's thinking. Love what you do. If you haven't found it keep looking. The human spirit is powerful never give up. A tree can be anything but a tree. A dog can be anything but a dog but a human being has unlimited potential. Fear kills dreams and can hold you from doing something that you know you can do. Don't allow your emotions to control you. Be in control, don’t let anyone belittle you. Live your life with passion.”