adminPetros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
ZIMBABWE international midfielder Marvelous Nakamba turned on a good show for Dutch top-flight side Vitesse Arnhem but his Europa League debut ended in defeat as the visitors went down 3-0 to English Premiership outfit Southampton in a third round qualifier on Thursday night. It is exactly a year since Nakamba arrived at Vitesse having joined the Dutch side from French club AS Nancy and the former Bantu Rovers midfielder had his first taste of Europe’s bigger continental game, albeit on a losing end.
Nakamba, who made his Warriors debut as a second half substitute in an African Cup of Nations qualifier against Malawi in Blantyre, is also a member of Callisto Pasuwa’s national Under-23 side that is chasing a 2016 Olympics dream.
The midfielder had in fact been included in the Young Warriors squad for the final Under-23 Championships qualifier against South Africa but he had to miss both legs of the clashes including tonight’s return leg in Pietermaritzburg because of club commitments.
Vitesse indicated two weeks ago that they could not release the players they had intensified their pre-season preparations that also took into account the Europa League preliminary round qualifiers.
On Thursday Vitesse underlined the significance they have placed on Nakamba with the Zimbabwean midfielder lasting the entire game as the visitors were left with a tough task to overturn the deficit when Southampton visit Netherlands next week.
More importantly for Nakamba, however, was getting an opportunity to make his bow in Europe’s second tier club knock-out competition.
Although Vitesse were soundly beaten by Dutch coach Ronald Koeman’s Saints on the night, it was interesting to note that Nakamba had the right ratings of the visitors players in the evaluation done by top British newspaper the Daily Mail.
The Daily Mail in their analysis gave Nakamba a rating of seven out of 10 and he was the highest rated of the Vitesse players who took to the battlefield.
For the player who between 2010 and 2012 played for Bantu Rovers and was in 2010 the youngest player in the domestic Premiership at 16 years, he will take his second season at Vitesse with great optimism.
His national coach Pasuwa has reckoned that Nakamba will play a key role in both the Warriors and Young Warriors campaigns but the former Dynamos gaffer’s only worry is on the player’s availability given a combination of club commitments and the fact that it has been difficult for ZIFA to fly in players from their bases lately.
Against Malawi, ZIFA took full advantage of the fact that the majority of the players were already back home for the off-season break and there are many who believe that the real test on the association will come in September when they have to fly in players for the Nations Cup showdown with Guinea.
But for Nakamba the sun is so far shining for him as he makes his waves at Vitesse and the midfielder has also never hidden his excitements at the prospects of being a Warriors’ regular.
According to reports from England, though, it was Vitesse who got off to a strong start but once the Saints got their breakthrough they added two more goals including a “somewhat gift’’ goal off a defensive mistake.
The win ensured that Southampton made a successful return to European competition. Playing their first Euro tie since 2003, Graziano Pelle opened the scoring with a right-foot shot after Sadio Mane’s neat ball in.
Dusan Tadic converted a penalty to double the lead after Mane was tripped in the area on the stroke of half-time. Substitutes Shane Long and Juanmi combined late on as Long headed home.
It was Saints’ first win in European competition since 1981 and the two sides will meet again in the return leg in Arnhem next Thursday with Koeman’s side in a strong position.
Progression there would send them into a play-off tie for a place in the group stages. Vitesse, roared on by a travelling contingent of 1,500 supporters, started the more composed on the ball as the hosts spurned early chances from a Maya Yoshida header and Victor Wanyama’s shot inside the penalty area.
But, just as Southampton looked to be out of ideas, Pelle was on hand to give them the lead after 36 minutes from Mane’s brilliantly-weighted pass. Their win Vitesse was Southampton’s first since beating Irish side Limerick 3-0 away from home in the first round of the UEFA Cup in September 1981.
Since then they have failed to win in nine matches in continental competition, a run that comprises the second leg against Limerick and two-legged ties against Sporting Lisbon, IFK Norrkoping, Hamburg and Steaua Bucharest.
Mane then found himself in the action again when his surge into the area was abruptly ended by a clumsy challenge from Vitesse left-back Rochdi Achenteh. Tadic stepped forward to send Room the wrong way and Southampton in to the break with a 2-0 lead.
The goals knocked the stuffing out of Vitesse who rarely threatened until substitute Milot Rashica slipped the offside trap but was denied by Maarten Stekelenburg.
As Vitesse searched for an away goal to get back into the tie, Southampton countered. Long raced through on goal only for Eloy Room to block his effort.
Juanmi showed awareness and composure to round the goalkeeper before squaring to find Long’s head for an easy finish into the open goal.
Koeman handed debuts to new signings Stekelenburg in goal, Cedric Soares at right-back and Jordy Clasie in midfield. Spanish striker Juanmi and Curacao defender Cuco Martina were named on the bench.
Online Reporter