adminBILL ANTONIO has followed in the footsteps of the legendary Moses Chunga after signing a two-year deal at Belgian side KV Mechelen.
“The 20-year-old Zimbabwean signs a contract for two seasons with an option for another 2 years,” the club announced.
“Bill Antonio is no stranger to Mechelen.
“This summer he already came to do an internship at our promises. In this he was able to convince the sports team.”
The club appear to have been impressed by Antonio’s pace.
“Bill is a fast right flank with an action in the feet,” says sports director Tom Caluwé. “To integrate, he will play with our Under-23 in the beginning.”
Chunga arrived in Belgium as a 22-year-old and starred for E. Aalst.
Kalusha Bwalya, the Zambian legend, also made his name at Belgian club Cercle Brugge before moving to Dutch giants, Ajax Amsterdam.
Other African players have also taken a similar path.
One of the biggest African stars to have played in the Jupiler Pro League is Yaya Toure.
The four-time African Footballer of the Year joined Beveren from the famous ASEC Mimosas youth academy early in his career, and even went on trial at Arsenal after impressing in Belgium.
Toure did not receive a work permit in England and ultimately moved to Metalurh Donetsk from Beveren.
Following stints with Donetsk, Olympiacos and AS Monaco, Toure was signed by FC Barcelona in 2007.
At the Camp Nou, he was part of the famous squad that won the sextuple in 2009, before he joined Manchester City in 2010.
Overall, Toure lifted 16 trophies in his career – including the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations with Cote d’Ivoire – after leaving his mark in Belgium.
Another star who came to prominence in Belgium is Kalidou Koulibaly.
The Senegal defender, who was voted the 2018/19 Serie A Defender of the Season, came through the ranks of French side Metz.
At the age of 21, he joined Belgian club Genk, and helped his new team lift the Belgian Cup in 2012/13.
Overall, he represented Genk on 92 occasions before Napoli snatched him up for just €7.75 million (R123 million) in 2014.
Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi is another African star who made a name for himself in Belgium after joining Genk at the age of 19.
He joined the Foxes following two years in Belgium. – Sports Reporter/Agencies
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