Fungai Muderere
TWO months after his doctor in Durban, South Africa told him that “I am not if sure you’ll be able to play again” after suffering a serious injury, former Highlanders, Caps United, Maritzburg United and current Cape Umoya forward, Gabriel ‘Granvia’ Nyoni has revealed that he has ventured into perfume manufacturing.
While the speedster suffered severe broken foot bones resulting in wires and pins being used to balance the bones inside his left foot, things in his business world are coming together.
“I have manufactured 100% undiluted long-lasting oil-based perfumes inspired by Designer Brands. Designer Brands are expensive so I created an affordable alternative,” said Nyoni.
He said the GN27 brand perfumes can be purchased online and those willing to get the fragrances can visit http://gn27perfumes.com.
Retired footballer Zimiseleni Moyo (35), who was recently forced out of the game courtesy of persistent tendon and ankle pains while playing professional football in Zambia, posted on Facebook praising Nyoni on his business adventure.
“You one footballer (Gabriel Nyoni) who makes people respect and acknowledge there is a lot of intelligence in footballers. Keep up the good work and good wishes to your great business adventure,” posted the dreadlocked former Railstars and Tsholotsho FC player.
On his injury Nyoni revealed that he was making steady progress in recovering and he could now safely stand without the aid of crutches.
“I can safely stand on my feet. The future looks Bright. Help me thank God,” he posted on Facebook.
The last two months have been traumatic for Nyoni (28), leaving him wondering if he still has a career as a footballer.
Not only did he break bones in his left foot, but he also returned a positive test for Covid-19 and at one time he had to fight for his health from two fronts.
The former Pamushana High School pupil joined Cape Umoya in September last year from Maritzburg United, where he had signed a two-year contract, with the option of a 12-month extension, but constant injury lay-offs resulted in him being offloaded.
He scored his first goal for Cape Umoya in January against Uthongati.
The speedy forward joined Maritzburg United at the beginning of the 2019/2020 season from Caps United with high expectations.
He had switched to the Harare side after spending six years at Bosso from 2012.
A holder of a degree in marketing from the National University of Science and Technology (Nust), Nyoni is still hopeful he can still make a return to the game possibly with Highlanders or any other local club for a swansong season before he calls time on his career.
He feels that he may need a fresh start if he were to fully recover from his injury, saying the layoff may be just too long for him to bounce back and command a starting place at his club in South Africa.
