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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE international Teenage Hadebe made a winning league debut in his Turkish side Yen Malatyaspor’s 3-0 win over Istanbul Basak on Sunday.
Istanbul Basak had in their line up former Chelsea striker Demba Ba, French international and former Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy, Brazilian Robinho as well as on loan Barcelona player Arda Turan.
Hadebe, who joined the European side from South African PSL club Kaizer Chiefs this year, played the whole 90 minutes and capped a fine evening’s performance with a 90-minute assist for the third goal scored by Moryke Fofana from Cote D’Ivoire.
On a night in which Turkish giants Galatasaray lost their opening match 0-2 to Denilispor, Hadebe’s team shot into the lead late in the second half when Brazilian Guilherme Marques scored in the 68th minute before Adis Sahovic made it 2-0 three minutes before regulation time.
It looked like they would settle for an opening 2-0 win until a combination of Hadebe and Fofana saw the home team recording an emphatic 3-0 league season opener win that leaves them third on the table by virtue of an inferior goal difference.
“It was a tough game, especially when you look at some of the names which were in their line-up.
“However, we are all players and human beings, I quickly adapted and played my normal game,” said Hadebe speaking from his base in Malatya, Turkey.
Yen Malatyaspor, who are also competing in the Uefa Europa league, are on the road to Trabsonsqor this coming Sunday.
While Zifa might have ‘disbanded’ the Warriors after a disastrous Total Caf Africa Cup of Nations finals in Egypt, new Warriors’ coach Joey Antipas is almost certainly not going to leave the former Highlanders and Bantu Rovers defender when he calls up his squad for the upcoming Fifa 2022 World Cup preliminary round qualifier against Somalia early next month.
Online Reporter