Malawian footballer uses platform to inspire youth

Takondwa Maosa has three youth appearances and one senior cap for the Malawian international side

A 24-year-old international footballer has said he is trying to use his platform to give back to the local black community.

Takondwa Maosa grew up in Southend-on-Sea and plays football for non-league side Cambridge City and Malawi's national team.

Two years ago he co-founded the Young Entrepreneurs Southend (YES) Network group with friend Ben Cluett to support other young professionals and entrepreneurs.

He said seeing black people who looked like him playing professional football made him believe that his dreams were possible.

"The area that I'm in, there are not many black people around," he explained.

"The ones that are there - people are thinking we are doing bad things or something dodgy and that's not the case.

"There are so many black people in London and Essex who are doing brilliant things."

Takondwa Maosa and Ben Cluett were nominated for a Pride of Essex award in the inspirational youth category earlier this year

Maosa said the network was free and open to everyone, but that he particularly tried to encourage black professionals to be role models.

The community group has 20 regular members who meet every other month, and the pair visit schools and job fairs.

They were nominated for a Pride of Essex award in the inspirational youth category earlier this year.

Plans to expand the group beyond Southend were afoot, Maosa said.

A 'tricky' journey

Maosa started playing football aged eight and was determined to make a career out of it, despite his mum's ambition for him to be a doctor.

The defensive midfielder has made three youth appearances and one senior appearance for Malawi, and featured at the Four Nations Football Tournament competing against Zimbabwe, Kenya and Zambia.

Leicester City striker Patson Daka appeared at the same competition, and he has pulled on the national shirt alongside former Cambridge United defender Jubril Okedina.

He got the call to play internationally aged 21 after years of rejection.

"It is really important to have role models and see people who look quite similar to yourself," he said.

"Even the route to getting the international call-up was very tricky.

"As you can imagine, football is a very saturated thing and a lot of people want to be footballers."