adminRicky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER national Under-20 and Bantu Rovers attacking midfielder Tafadzwa Raphael Kutinyu left the country on Saturday for a two-week trial at Club Brugge in Belgium.The 19-year-old is expected back home on November 24.
Kutinyu is not the first player from Bantu Rovers to get an invite for trials at a Belgiam Pro League club as Netherlands-based Marvelous Nakamba,
Tshintsha Guluva’s captain Nqobizitha Masuku and Danny Phiri once went for attachments at Cercle Brugge. During his trial stint, Kutinyu is expected to play in a friendly match against Dutch side FC Eindhoven on Thursday.
Bantu Rovers general manager Wilbert Sibanda confirmed that the attacking midfielder who had a good season for his relegated club is in Belgium and was hopeful that he would meet the grade.
“We’ll be relegated but we’re doing good business and as it is our midfielder Kutinyu is in Belgium for trials with Club Brugge. As a club we’ve cordial relations with European teams and in the past we used to send our boys to Cercle Brugge for training stints. At the end of the 2010 season we had Deco (Phiri) and Nakamba going for attachments at Cercle Brugge and in 2012 Nakamba got another invite while Masuku was in Belgium and Germany last year.
“Now we managed to get Kutinyu an invitation for trials and as a club we wish him well. He’s been a consistent performer for the club and we feel this is the time for him to get a break in Europe. If he fails to make the grade, he’ll return with his head high because that exposure to familiarise with a professional set up of that magnitude is good for the player,” Sibanda said.
Club Brugge are second on the Belgian Pro League behind Anderlecht and it will certainly be a big break for Kutinyu should he make the grade.
There are a couple of Zimbabwean players plying their trade in Belgium who include former Highlanders and national team midfielder Honour Gombami who joined Cercle Brugge in 2007, Warriors’ enterprising left-footed utility player Vusa Nyoni also had a stint at Cercle Brugge together with Obadiah Tarumbwa who spent just a season at the Belgian side.
Ex-Caps United utility player Cephas Chimedza is also based in Belgium.
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