RISING Zimbabwe forward Cobert Chimedza (Jnr) has joined Portuguese Premier League side Gil Vicente.
The 20-year-old striker becomes the first Zimbabwean to sign for a Portuguese League club after Independence and the only other person in history to play for a Portuguese club after the late Freddy Mkwesha, who turned out for Sporting de Braga in the 1960s.
Gil Vicente are currently 14th in the Portuguese league with 26 points from 27 matches.
Chimedza (Jnr) has previously played for MK Dons in England a few years ago when they were competing in the third tier of the English football League One.
The player expressed delight following the big move.
“My move to Portugal has been good. I am loving each and every moment of it as I will be surrounded by a group of great players, great staff that have been welcoming from the very start and I’m loving it,” Chimedza said.
“They have welcomed me as their own for the few months I have been in Portugal. They helped me develop and now have a better understanding of their play here.
“For the future, I will try to be disciplined and put my head down, I believe I’ll be able to achieve higher in football, you know. So I’m just going to stay focused and see what the future holds.”
- Chimedza breaks into Portuguese topflight league
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Cobert (Jnr) is the son of Cobert Chimedza (Snr), who owns clothing brand 4May International, who recently entered into a partnership with Zifa to sponsor the Warriors’ formal wear during international assignments.
Chimedza (Snr) is also director of FC Porto Dragon Force Academy in Zimbabwe, which has strong links with Portugal football giants FC Porto and provides a direct pathway for budding footballers into Europe and other international markets.
Born in Harare before moving to London at the age of 14, Cobert (Jnr) was discovered by MK Dons playing in a social soccer match and the club signed him into their junior structures.
He was reportedly on the verge of joining Turkish topflight side Adana Demirspor in 2023 before the deal fell through.
