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Sports Reporter
KNOWLEDGE MUSONA is being tipped by KickOff readers as the player to score most of the goals in the 2013/14 South African Premiership football season. The Zimbabwe international returned to Kaizer Chiefs on a one-year loan agreement after two difficult seasons in the German Bundesliga.
Musona, the leading footballer in Zimbabwe, failed to produce the fireworks at TSG Hoffenheim, who signed him on a five-year contract, and scored just one goal in his maiden season in Europe.
He was loaned to Augsburg but again failed to produce the sparks before making a surprise return to the Amakhosi.
KickOff has been running a poll, on their website, asking their readers who, of the three big-name signings at Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, will score most of the goals.
Sundowns poached Zimbabwe striker, Cuthbert Malajila, from Martizburg United while Pirates signed Kerit Erasmus from SuperSport United.
“The ‘big three’ of Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates signed three high-profile strikers during the offseason,” KickOff said on their website.
“Who will score the most goals?”
As at 7.30pm last night, Musona was leading the race in the poll with 3 657 votes, representing 52.1 percent of the vote.
Erasmus was in second place with 1 958 votes, representing 27.9 percent of the vote, while Malajila was in third place with 1 406 votes, representing 20 percent of the vote.
Musona’s move to Chiefs has been condemned by former Zimbabwe international, George Mbwando, who played for more than 10 years in Germany.
“I was as shocked as I was disappointed with Knowledge’s decision to go back to Kaizer Chiefs,” said Mbwando.
“It is retrogressive, how can you go back to High School when you have reached University. I know that at times it might not be easy to adjust to a new and tougher environment but it was not hell for Musona.
“Even if he could not play regularly in the Bundesliga he could have tried to have a season or two in the Second or even Third Division and I know that he would have bounced back into the Bundesliga a far much better player.
“With all due respect I don’t see how playing in South Africa will improve him or prepare him for European football when he has already been in Europe and knows what is required.
“All he needed to do was soldier on a little and I know that there are a number of clubs in Germany that saw the qualities in him and were interested so he was never going to struggle to find a team. He needs to return to Europe before it is too late.”
Mbwando, who last month also gave a brutal and frank assessment of the domestic game, said he had also registered his views when he spoke to Musona before he returned to South Africa.
“I actually spoke to Knowledge before he left for South Africa and advised him against it. I also told him that a lot of people were prepared to help get him a club in Germany or even around Europe but now he has taken a lot of steps backwards and I am disappointed with him.
“It is not good for his career, it does not bode well for the national team to have your best striker returning to South Africa when he had taken a giant step towards improving his game.
“In fact we need to have more players playing in the big European leagues in order for the Warriors to be competitive in the World Cup and African Cup of Nations tournaments and I am happy to hear that players like Nyasha Mushekwi have found clubs in Europe ,’’ Mbwando said.
Online Reporter