Having had his high and low moments for over two decades drawing the trajectory of his life on the pitch, Sweden-based Kenyan ex-footballer Asman Ngaywa has found a haven in the corporate world.
Ngaywa is a former Mathare United and KCB striker who is now working with a leading Swedish hydraulics firm after retiring in 2013.
He moved to Sweden in 2007 where he joined Division Two Side Smedby Sais and later moved to Assyriska after playing for two seasons.
A few years later, he moved back to Kenya for a short while and played for KCB before returning to Sweden where he played for lower-tier sides Enskede EIK and Bogarmossen.
After his stint with these two clubs, he finally called it quits in 2013 and ventured into the corporate world.
“I had a bad knee injury and despite healing, I still felt so much pain after playing in artificial turf. I thought my time was up and retired from football in 2013. I had also become a family man at that time and decided to dedicate more time to that aspect of life,” Ngaywa told Nairobi News in an interview recently.
“I am now a professional salesperson and I work for a company that deals with hydraulic equipment and it is a phase of life I am really enjoying,” he added.
Although he has not been in the pitch for seven years, he has used his networks in the game to create job opportunities for young Kenyan footballers in Swedish clubs.
However, he warned that for African players in Swedish clubs, the effort required in is double.
“You have to work twice as hard as the native players if you are in African player in Europe and therefore this is something that has to start early.
Whatever league or team you are in at the moment, put in the extra effort in training and be disciplined,” he advised.
