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Zimpapers Sports Hub
JORDAN Zemura and Teenage Hadebe survived relegation in contrasting fashion on the final day of their European top flight leagues on Sunday evening.
Zemura featured for three minutes, introduced in the referee’s optional time, as Udinese secured a place in the Italian Serie A next season with a 1-0 win away to fellow relegation candidates Frosinone, on one of the most dramatic conclusions.
Frosinone were relegated as Empoli, who started the day occupying the remaining relegation slot, snatched an injury-time winner against Roma.
When Empoli took the 2-1 lead over Roma, Frosinone still had three minutes to force a draw against Udinese, an outcome that would have sent Zemura’s side back to Serie B.
At the end of the game, Zemura was captured on camera in a long embrace with coach Fabio Cannavaro despite having been reduced to a bit-part player since the appointment of the Italian legend as head coach.
Zemura played a combined 29 minutes in the six games since Cannavaro’ s arrival, the longest being the last 20 minutes of the home defeat against Roma on April 25.
In Turkey, Hadebe’s Konyaspor suffered a 1-3 home loss to champions Galatasaray but still survived as 17th placed Ankaragücü squandered a 2-1 lead in the 87th minute and lost 2-4 against third-placed Trabzonspor.
As a result, Konyaspor finished a place above relegation.
Hadebe, who returned to the Turkish Super Lig during the midseason transfer window from the US Major League, was taken off at halftime in a tactical change for Konyaspor as they trailed 0-1 at the break.
However, the change did not seem to work as Galatasaray scored two goals in three minutes early in the second half to extend the lead to 3-0 after 53 minutes while the hosts reduced arrears in the 78th minute.
Since joining Konyaspor, the 28-year-old Hadebe made the squad 12 times and was in the starting eleven on 11 occasions and was an unused substitute once.
Hadebe, whose short-term contract at Konyaspor is coming to an end, lasted the distance in eight of the matches, made 70 minutes and 72 in two other matches while Sunday was the only time he did not make the second half.
Online Reporter