Online Reporter
Blessing Malinganiza
Zimpapers Sports Hub
WARRIORS striker Tino Kadewere has declared his fight for fitness won, and is now fully focused on his a potentially exciting new chapter with Greek club Aris.
After a lean spell hampered by injuries which also ruled him out from international duty with the Warriors in the remainder of their World Cup qualifiers, Kadewere feels fit again.
Kadewere, who joined from the French Ligue this season, has seen his start in Greece hamstrung by fitness issues, preventing him from properly settling with the squad.
His long-awaited return came as a second-half substitute in Aris’s 3-0 defeat to OFI, where he logged over 30 minutes.
Now, after an intensive training period during the international break, Kadewere believes he has turned a corner.
“It’s been a difficult period,” Kadewere admitted. “Joining a new club and immediately facing an injury is a huge setback, as you cannot settle in properly.
“However, I feel really good now after training through the break, and I’m happy with the improvement.”
With the setback behind him, the forward is now focused on fulfilling his potential at a club that sit fifth in the Super League, just six points adrift of leaders AEK Athens. “I’m looking forward to the game and feeling ready to go,” he said.
“I want to return the trust and faith the club invested in me and that can be only possible if I am fit.
“I am not looking forward to just scoring goals, but helping the team in any positive way. Scoring goals is important for the team but my priority is all about contributing positively in all aspects of the game and keeping myself injury-free at the moment’’.
Kadewere missed the Warriors World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Lesotho with coach Micheal Nees electing to give him more time to recover.
“I actually have a very high opinion of Tino from a technical point of view, he is an outstanding player.
“However, Tino has had strong physical problems for about a year. He was out of action for seven months last year,” Nees said of the striker.
“He showed his commitment by joining the national team in May after a seven-month absence, even though I am sure his club was not happy. He wanted to show us he is a valuable player,” added Nees. On Sunday, Aris will be hosting Panathinaikos in Super League Greece and Kadewere is optimistic. “It’s good for me to go on the pitch with confidence and show what I have to offer. But I am eager to get more game time and keep working hard to get a desirable result,” he said.
