Zim foreign-based players round-up

Four foreign-based players in the Warriors squad for Sunday’s fixture scored for their respective teams while several more were also in action over the weekend.

National team coach Sunday Chidzambwa named a provisional selection consisting of a large pool of foreign-based players for the decisive Afcon qualifier against Congo on Sunday.

Soccer24 looks at how this foreign contingent performed on the weekend as we build up to the big match.

In South Africa, Talent Chawapiwa, Terrence Dzvukumanja and Khama Billiat all managed to get on the scoresheet.

Chawapiwa scored his first goal for AmaZulu in a 4-1 defeat to Free State Stars on Saturday afternoon. He netted in the 71st minute with cracking strike but was subbed off seven minutes later. The 26-year-old had a fair overall performance despite it being overshadowed by the team’s poor display.

Fellow countrymen and team-mates Ovidy Karuru and Butholezwe Ncube also featured in the game with the former leaving the pitch on the midway point of the second half.

On Friday Dzvukumanja grabbed a late brace in Bidvest Wits’ 4-2 away triumph at Bloemfontein Celtic.

The former Ngezi Platinum forward first scored in the 88th minute before hitting the back of the net a few moments later in the added time. He played the entire ninety minutes together with Celtic full-back Ronald Pfumbidzai.

On the same night, Kaizer Chiefs drew 1-1 at SuperSport United, thanks to a Billiat’s solo effort from a range on the quarter hour mark. The 28-year-old made a great run before smashing the ball from about twenty yards out.

His contribution in the game was outstanding and earned him a Man of the Match Award.

Defender Teenage Hadebe came in from the bench and played the last twenty-five minutes while United’s Evans Rusike who was employed as a winger on the night also featured.

Rusike, however, didn’t give much to the game as he played until the 85th minute.

Polokwane City goalkeeper George Chigova managed to keep a clean sheet for the second successive time while his deputy in the national team Edmore Sibanda hasn’t been part of Witbank Spurs’ playing squad this month.

Golden Arrows’ Devine Lunga and Danny Phiri both played in the 1-0 win over Baroka last Wednesday but fellow countryman Knox Mutizwa was an unused substitute.

Orlando Pirates midfielder Marshall Munetsi also sat out, but Kudakwashe Mahachi featured four an hour in the Champions League encounter against Horoya in Guinea. In Zambia defender, Jimmy Dzinga will return to action this afternoon when Power Dynamos date Forest Rangers in the league.

France-based striker Tinotenda Kadewere delivered some brilliant performance for his French team, Le Havre, on Friday. The 23-year-old scored and assisted the other goal in the 3-1 home victory over Ajaccio. He has now been directly involved in four goals in March alone, scoring two in the three games he featured in this month.

Nottingham Forest full-back Tendayi Darikwa started and played until the final whistle while Alec Mudimu’s Cefn Druids in Wales was not in action over the weekend.

Leicester City U23 centre forward Admiral Muskwe played in the Premier League International Cup on Wednesday against Bayern Munich and converted his kick in the penalty shoot-out as his side lost the match 4-5.

Belgian-based pair of Warriors captain Knowledge Musona and Marvelous Nakamba did not play due to injuries.

Musona who plays for Lokeren was rested on Sunday after picking up an ankle knock, but he is expected to be fit in time of the Congo clash. Club Brugge midfielder Nakamba is already out of the Sunday’s match with a hip injury.

Kelvin Lunga of SV Rodinghausen in Germany came on as a second-half substitute in his team’s 2-0 win over Viktoria Koln. The attacking midfielder received his first call-up to the national team and will be in line to make his international debut this weekend should he be selected in the final squad.

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