Kangwa holed up in Byo

Sikhumbuzo Moyo in BULAWAYO

WHILE the Tanzanian Premier League resumed at the weekend, second-placed Azam’s Bruce Kangwa remains locked up in the country.

He is battling to travel back to his base in East Africa.

The former Highlanders leftback returned home soon after the cancellation of league matches in Tanzania in March and remains at his home in Bulawayo’s Cowdray Park suburb.

He has been a vital cog in the Azam dressing room, playing all but one game, for his side.

He only missed this past weekend’s game.

His team, Azam, 15 points behind leaders and defending champions Simba SC with nine games to go, powered to a 2-0 win over struggling Mbao.

Simba were held to a 1-1 draw by Ruvu Shooting, who are 11th on the league table.

To avoid any further spike of the coronavirus, the Tanzania Football Federation and the country’s government undertook stringent precautions, and health protocols, in all the matches.

Fans were asked to sit, at least, one metre apart, and everyone had their body temperature checked before accessing the stadium.

At the same time, sanitisers and running water was availed at all entry points to ensure high levels of hygiene.

The players had their temperatures checked before going into the stadium, while the substitutes on the bench had to observe strict social distancing guidelines and wore masks all the time.

Several African countries cancelled their domestic football leagues due to the pandemic while others, like Zimbabwe, whose season was set to get underway in March, were forced to postpone the start of the matches.

“I am still locked up here at home because I couldn’t get any flights to Tanzania and I have no option,” said Kangwa.

”I am, however, keeping fit by having training sessions on my own.”

Kangwa had eight years of service at Highlanders before being lured to Tanzania in 2016, initially signing a three-year contract, before the two parties agreed to an extension.

Asked if his team can win the championship race, Kangwa said the destination of the title was now in the hands of God.

“Only God knows what will happen,” he said.

Azam last won the league title in 2014. Another Zimbabwean player who was on the Azam books, Donald Ngoma, has parted ways with club following the expiry of his contract this past Sunday.