From Village Boy to City Landlord The Quiet Rise of Lucky Vundla
Not many know his name. He hasn’t lived in the limelight of Zimbabwean football. But Lucky Vundla’s story is one worth telling.Born and raised in the rural village of Mpandeni, Plumtree, Vundla’s football journey began when coach Lizwe Sweswe discovered him and took him to Tsholotsho FC.
“I got injured when I got there and stayed four months without playing,” Vundla recalls. “I remember my first game was against Highlanders when they were coached by Erol Akbay. I scored, and we won 1-0 against Bosso.
”At Tsholotsho, there was no signingon fee, and the salary wasn’t much. “Literally, I did nothing tangible there,” he admits.
His next stop was ZPC Kariba. With his signing fee, he bought his first car. But his stay was short. He moved to Manica Diamonds on a two-year deal, yet only played one season. A change of coaches saw the new gaffer release him.
Still, Vundla turned that setback into progress. “With the Manica Diamonds signing fee, I bought my stand in Mthunzini suburb, Bulawayo.
After being offloaded, he trained with Triangle United. While there, a call came from Mozambique. Costa del Sol FC wanted him. He went, got signed, and made a decision that would define his future.
“My signing fee and salaries , I sent all of it home to my sister to start building on my stand.”
He left Mozambique and returned to Zimbabwe in 2024, signing for Sheasham under Lizwe Sweswe again. “I used the Sheasham signing fee for roofing,” he says. “Then I would do money clubs ,Ama rounds as we call them ,that money helped me put in windows, doors, and plaster the house.”
Today, the house is finished. A four bedroomed home in the city, built step by step through football.
Vundla recently signed with Talen Vision FC. “Now I’ll be doing the final touches interior and other stuff and then I move in.
For Vundla, it was never about big contracts.
“It’s not about how much you earn, it’s about how you manage what you get. I haven’t really earned much in my career like others, but I know where I come from and I needed to build my future.”
Along the way, there were temptations and taunts. “Many laughed at me when I wasn’t participating in things like drinking and other stuff boys do. They called me a village boy. That did not move me or put me under pressure to join them, because there wasn’t a lie in what they said I am a village boy. But they were wrong about one thing, me not being clever.
From Mpandeni to Mthunzini. From injury setbacks to owning a roof over his head. Lucky Vundla may not be a household name in Zimbabwean football, but he has something to show for his career.
“Now I have something to show for my career,” he says. And that, for him, is enough.
