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From Niue to Pakistan: Jaylen Rodwell & Haris Zeb on Identity, Leadership, and the Birth of OFC Pro
Published 2 weeks, 4 days ago
Description
Jaylen Rodwell and Haris Zeb of South Island United join Jon Nelson on SDH AM for a conversation that goes far beyond the touchline.
Rodwell is making history as the first professional footballer to represent Niue, carrying the hopes of a nation still building its football future. Zeb, born in Pakistan and raised in Christchurch, speaks to the pride of representing his birth country internationally while helping bring professional football home to the South Island.
Together, they share what it is like to live inside a brand new league at its very beginning. The travel, the intensity, the leadership demanded in a new professional environment, and the responsibility of being role models for communities that have rarely had this platform before.
From cultural connection to competitive growth across Oceania, this is a window into OFC Pro as it takes its first steps, and the players helping define what it can become.
Rodwell is making history as the first professional footballer to represent Niue, carrying the hopes of a nation still building its football future. Zeb, born in Pakistan and raised in Christchurch, speaks to the pride of representing his birth country internationally while helping bring professional football home to the South Island.
Together, they share what it is like to live inside a brand new league at its very beginning. The travel, the intensity, the leadership demanded in a new professional environment, and the responsibility of being role models for communities that have rarely had this platform before.
From cultural connection to competitive growth across Oceania, this is a window into OFC Pro as it takes its first steps, and the players helping define what it can become.