Can Antonio live to his Bill-ing?
TO many, he is that Dynamos teenage winger who has announced his arrival in the Premiership with a stunning bang, yet at home in Dzivarasekwa, 18-year-old Bill Antonio is already a “father” and a breadwinner.
The Prince Edward Upper Sixth student is arguably the hottest teenage footballer in the local Premiership at the moment, thanks to his dazzling performances for DeMbare, who are unbeaten in the 2021 Chibuku Super Cup tournament.
Antonio’s profile has continued to soar since May 29 when he made his debut in the 4-0 drubbing of Yadah Stars in a Chibuku Super Cup Group One match at the National Sports Stadium.
He is now famous in the streets of Harare, and at school, he is the most popular and high-profile student to an extent that his classmates reportedly offer to help him catch up when he misses lessons because of club commitments.
At home, Antonio pays school fees and transport fares for his sisters and is planning to start paying instalments for a family stand in Kuwadzana.
Antonio — whose salary is now more than the average pay in the formal sector, courtesy of a financial injection into Dynamos by local fuel giants Sakunda Holdings — has also seen a welcome change of fortune in his life.
“I have been buying grocery stuff for the family, I also pay transport for my sisters and I am now paying their school fees.
“I am also planning to start paying the instalments for the family stand in Kuwadzana. Thanks to football, I bought blankets for my parents with my first pay, but I guess I will now need to do more.
“I want to buy my parents new furniture and many more things as time goes,” he told The Sunday Mail Sport.
Apart from creating goals for his teammates, he also got onto the scoresheet when DeMbare beat ZPC Kariba 2-0 on October 2 to seal their place in the Chibuku Super Cup quarter-finals.
The Glamour Boys will now face Group Three runners-up Black Rhinos in the last eight.
They finish their group games with a date against Harare City at Baobab Stadium in Mhondoro-Ngezi at 11am today.
Amid this tough schedule, he has had to juggle between school and football, as he is also preparing for his Advanced Level exams.
He is doing a combination of Literature in English, History and Family and Religious
Studies.
The Zimbabwe youth international is a prefect at school and dreams of attaining a degree in social work in the next five years.
His exploits at DeMbare have naturally made him popular at school.
Typically, after grabbing newspaper headlines over the weekend, Antonio returns to school on a Monday in a tricky transition he has learned to live with.
“The feeling is just so good, but nevertheless these are the things which I believe are going to be making up my days for the next few years.
“I want to be a footballer who is educated, so even if I am to go to university, the same thing is going to happen; so, yes, the feeling is good . . .
“Fellow students feel honoured that one of their own, let me say school leaders, is leading for sure.
“To me, it’s the same because I have always delivered even at school football.
“The whole school knew I would deliver, so, yes, the whole school is happy and everyone is willing to help with my school work when I miss some lessons.”
Early days
Growing up in Dzivarasekwa, Antonio was already playing first-team football at Gillingham Primary when he was still in Grade Five.
He joined Dzivarasekwa Football Academy the following year, before Prince Edward came calling for his services when he finished Grade Seven.
He captained the Under-14 side before graduating into the senior team three years later, where he was also named skipper.
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