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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE international Tino Kadewere continued to push for UEFA Champions League with Olympique Lyon after they collected maximum points on Wednesday night and maintained pressure on the French Ligue 1 log leaders, Lille.
Lyon were 1-0 winners over Dijon thanks to a first half goal by Brazilian, Lucas Paqueta. Kadewere played 90 minutes but had a subdued evening.
“It was difficult tonight,” he said after the game.
“The most important thing was to win. We played together. We weren’t clinical. A match like this can happen. We need to work more, and to stay focused for the match against Strasbourg. There are a lot of matches at the moment.”
Lyon have now won three games on the bounce since the morale-sapping 0-1 defeat to Metz, which knocked them off the perch in a four-horse race that also includes PSG and Monaco.
They are currently in second place with 49 points, two behind leaders Lille. Star-studded PSG are in third place with 48 points while Monaco complete the top four on 45 points.
As of the 2017–18 season, as determined by the UEFA coefficient, the top three teams in Ligue 1 qualify for the Champions League, with the top two proceeding directly to the group phase.
The third-placed team enters in the third qualifying round. The fourth-placed team qualifies for the UEFA Europa League.
Kadewere, who has since proclaimed that his goal is playing Champions League football, has scored nine goals and contributed three assists in 22 appearances for Lyon in his debut Ligue 1 season.
The marathon is still on as the campaign has just passed the hallway mark. His compatriot Marshall Munetsi was not in the team for Stade de Reims’ goalless draw against Angers.
Reims are currently 12th on the French Ligue 1 standings with 28 points.
Another Zimbabwe international, Marvelous Nakamba, was an unused substitute in Aston Villa’s 1-3 defeat to West Ham United in the English Premier League on Wednesday night.
Online Reporter
Peter Tanyanyiwa