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Eddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE forwards Knox Mutizwa and Prince Dube are back in the scoring business after they helped their teams get points at the weekend.
Dube shot to the top of the Tanzania Premiership scoring charts with a brace while Mutizwa scored his fifth goal of the season in South Africa’s DStv Premiership at the weekend. Khama Billiat also scored a crucial goal for Kaizer Chiefs in the Champions League.
The trio missed the Warriors’ final AFCON qualifying campaign against Botswana and Zambia last month due to injuries.
Mutizwa was on target in Golden Arrows 1-1 draw against Bloemfontein Celtic on Sunday and the goal ensured the Durban side maintained their spot in the top three, with 38 points. They trail log leaders, Mamelodi Sundowns, by five points.
Golden Arrows had an opportunity to move to second on the log standings and needed maximum points to achieve that. Instead, they found themselves trailing in the opening half on Sunday.
Mutizwa could have equalised moments before the break but was denied by the crossbar with the opposition goalkeeper beaten. He still managed to find the back of the nets with just under 20 minutes remaining in the game.
This was his first start since the return from injury. Mutizwa picked up a knock in Golden Arrows’ 2-1 win over Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila on March 10 and then aggravated the injury during training.
The injury also forced him out of the Warriors remaining AFCON qualifiers against Botswana and Zambia.
Mutizwa’s unavailability was a big blow for Warriors coach Zdravko Logarusic, who already had failed to secure France-based striker Tino Kadewere and the injured Dube for the decisive games.
But things are beginning to look positive again for the Zimbabwean strikers. Dube marked his return from a thigh muscle injury with a brace for Azam FC in the Tanzanian Premiership at the weekend.
Dube has suffered a series of injury disruptions since his move to the East African nation last year. He had been out for two weeks but has, remarkably, managed to retain the top spot on the scoring charts with 10 goals to his name this season.
Tanzanian international John Bocco and Ugandan forward Meddie Kagere are joint second in the Golden Boot race, tied on nine points.
Warriors poster boy, Billiat, who has just returned from a four-month injury setback, underlined his worth with a late second half goal that gave South African giants Kaizer Chiefs their first ever quarterfinal berth in the CAF Champions League.
They played a 2-2 draw against Horoya in Guinea and finished tied on nine points with the West Africans in Group C. Wydad Casablanca of Morocco won the group and Chiefs also progressed courtesy of better head to head against Horoya.
The only worry for Zimbabwe was Kadewere, who missed Olympic Lyon’s 3-0 thrashing of Angers in the French Ligue 1 due to an injury he picked up during training last Tuesday. The forward will be out for three weeks.
But his compatriot Marshall Munetsi featured in Stade de Reims goalless draw against Nice in the French Ligue 1 at the weekend.
Marvelous Nakamba also started in Aston Villa’s 1-3 defeat to Liverpool in the English Premiership. Defender Tendayi Darikwa featured in Wigan’s 4-1 win over Doncaster in the English League One.
Alec Mudimu continued the fight for survival with Ankaraspor in the Turkish second tier when his club Ankaraspor beat Adanaspor 2-1 on the road in the 29th week of Turkish Football Federation Division One League. Ankaraspor are currently sitting second from the bottom with six games remaining in the season.
Online Reporter