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A HIGHLY-RATED Zimbabwean football teenager enjoyed a ring-side seat at Old Trafford last night as Manchester United’s unlikely push to prevent Manchester City, from winning the English Premiership title, finally came to an end.
The Red Devils’ 1-2 loss to Leicester City last night meant City were crowned champions, with three games to play, while the Foxes also brightened their chances of securing Champions League football, next season.
But, away from the issues related to the championship, it was also a great night for 18-year-old Zimbabwean footballer, Tawanda Masvanhise, who was handed his first role, in the Leicester first team.
He was named by manager Brendan Rodgers among the Foxes’ substitutes and, even though he didn’t feature in the game, it was a monumental occasion for the player.
It’s the latest giant step for the teenager, who is being polished, in the Leicester City factory, where he enjoys the company of his compatriots, Reece Evans and Admiral Muskwe, who is back after a loan stint at Wycombe Wanderers, in the Championship. Masvanhise was born in Harare in 1998 and relocated with his family to England when he was three years-old.
He has grown in the system to become a key member of the club’s development side and has already featured for the Warriors.
England-born midfielder Masvanhise has also been on the rise and, after featuring for the junior sides, he was given his first-team break, last night. He is the son of former top Zimbabwe sprinter, Jeffery Masvanhise, who represented the country at the big stage, including the All-Africa Games and the Commonwealth Games, between 1998 and 2002.
His son’s giant step was confirmed just before the match against the Red Devils.
“Brendan Rodgers has named his Leicester City team to face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Tuesday night,” reported the Leicester Mercury.
“Rodgers made two changes from the side that started Friday evening’s shock 4-2 home defeat to Newcastle United.
“James Maddison and Ricardo Pereira both drop to the Leicester bench as they are replaced in the starting line-up by Ayoze Perez and Luke Thomas.
“Defender Jonny Evans pulled up during the warm-up ahead of the Newcastle game and is missing once more. So, Marc Albrighton, who was drafted into the side at the last moment on Friday, keeps his place against United.
“Meanwhile, there is a place among the substitutes for 18-year-old midfielder Tawanda Masvanhise.”
Defeat for United last night means they are now 10 points behind City with only three games remaining.
Caglar Soyuncu’s far-post header was enough to bring a smile to Brendan Rodgers’ face and that of Pep Guardiola, whose dominance of the English game is increasing.
A United side showing 10 changes to the team that won at Aston Villa two days previously battled hard, with Mason Greenwood levelling after fellow 19-year-old Luke Thomas had put the visitors in front with a fantastic far-post volley into the top corner.
Ironically, Leicester’s winner came from a corner that was delayed by the introduction of two United substitutes by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. One of them, Marcus Rashford, was initially marking Soyuncu at the corner but lost the Turkey international in the build-up and Nemanja Matic was unable to repel the goal threat. The result brought to an end United’s 14-match unbeaten run in the league, since the home defeat by Sheffield United on 27 January.
Rodgers’ side now only require four points from their final two games to secure a top-four finish, although before that quest resumes, they will attempt to win the FA Cup for the first time in the club’s history against Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday.
Solskjaer had already said he would have no option other than to make mass changes given a fixture list that consigned his team to play three times in five days.
This central fixture was always likely to be the one in which United started with the fewest regular members of their first-choice line-up.
Yet, Leicester had reason to be cautious about their good fortune.
Their record against United is awful, with just two wins in 29 previous Premier League meetings and only one success in their last 22 top-flight visits to Old Trafford.
In addition, a run of two wins in six league games brought worrying parallels of the post-lockdown run of two wins from nine matches that saw them miss out on qualification for this season’s Champions League thanks to the only two weeks they have spent outside the top four since September 2019.
Thomas’ opener was only the third time Leicester had taken the lead in a Premier League game at Old Trafford but the local-born Leicester fan produced a memorable finish to mark it. The teenager had the maturity to wait for Youri Tielemans’ cross to drop before applying the devastating end product, effectively passing the ball over David de Gea and into the far corner of the net with a brilliant side-footed volley.
Greenwood responded with an excellent goal of his own as he collected Amad’s pass before driving into the box and beating Kasper Schmeichel with a finish that showed why many now think he should be in Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2020.
LEICESTER CITY SQUAD AT OLD TRAFFORD LAST NIGHT
Schmeichel, Castagne, Fofana, Soyuncu, Thomas, Ndidi, Tielemans, Albrighton, Perez, Iheanacho, Vardy. Subs: Ward, Amartey, Fuchs, Ricardo, Mendy, Choudhury, Praet, Maddison, Masvanhise — Sports Reporter/BBC Sport/Leicester Mercury
Online Reporter