Online Reporter
Fungai Muderere
IT is pain and frustration for Teenage Hadebe in the United States but joy and champagne dreams are rapidly building for fellow Warriors star Daniel Msendami in South Africa.
While Hadebe battles injury heartbreak after being ruled out of Zimbabwe’s Unity Cup squad, Msendami is just one win away from helping Orlando Pirates end a painful 14-year wait for the Betway Premiership title.
Hadebe’s nightmare worsened this week after confirmation that the US-based defender will miss the Warriors’ Unity Cup campaign in the United Kingdom later this month because of a hamstring injury suffered three weeks ago.
The tough defender is expected to spend between eight and 10 weeks on the sidelines in a major blow for both club and country.
For the Warriors, it means going into the tournament without one of their most experienced defensive leaders.
But while Hadebe faces weeks in the treatment room, Msendami is preparing for what could become the biggest moment of his football career.
The exciting winger and his Pirates teammates are now within touching distance of South African football glory after title rivals Mamelodi Sundowns suffered a dramatic 3-2 defeat to TS Galaxy.
That shock result cracked the title race wide open.
Sundowns finished their campaign on 68 points while Pirates remain on 65 with two matches still to play.
The equation is now simple for the Buccaneers, beat either Durban City or Orbit College and the famous Soweto giants will finally dethrone Sundowns, who had dominated the league with eight straight championships.
Pirate’s supporters are already sensing history.
And if the title is secured, Msendami will join a select band of Zimbabweans who have lifted the South African league crown with the Buccaneers.
Former Warriors stars Edelbert Dinha, Ephraim Chawanda and Innocent Chikoya are among the few Zimbabweans to previously taste league glory with Pirates.
For now, however, fortunes could not be more different for the two Warriors stars.
One is fighting to recover from injury.
The other is chasing football immortality.
