daniel chigunwe
Zimbabwe is a nation of sports lovers and no sport is loved more than football. The top-flight competitions of the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League, Cup of Zimbabwe, and Zimbabwe Women’s Football Super League are packed full of teams and players with impressive talent and skill.
While there are plenty of opportunities to advance and develop within domestic competitions, some of the best players to ever don the kits of the Mighty Warriors often head abroad. There’s no single destination. Zimbabwean nationals are spread all over the world. Many head to nearby nations like Zambia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Mozambique, as well as others venture further afield.
Europe is the main destination for players moving outside of Africa and England is the country where there is the largest concentration of Zimbabweans. This shouldn’t be too surprising given that the nation is the birthplace of the sport and home to some of the largest and most prestigious domestic competitions in the world.
Europe has a lot of appeal to foreign players. It is the biggest footballing market on Earth, it has most of the wealthiest clubs on the planet, and it offers the most exposure for players.
Everything about football is Europe is bigger. No more so than its sports betting industry, thanks in part to the region having some of the oldest and most mature markets and a high rates of internet adoption. This has created a lot of demand for sports betting amongst European fans, especially so in the UK, where there’s also a lot of competition between brands vying for a slice of this action.
To help consumers navigate these crowded markets, sites like oddschecker have stepped in to compare promotions like BetMGM free bets and similar offers from other bookies, as well as see which brands are offering the best odds.
With so much going on, it’s easy to see why so many of Zimbabwe’s top players want to be in Europe. Of all of them, these are some of the most prominent names.
Marvelous Nakamba
Marvelous Nakamba has been competing in Europe for over a decade having first moved to France in December 2013. The midfielder has spent almost half of that in England at Premier League side Aston Villa and now Luton Town. Over his time in Europe, he’s made 248 appearances, racking up nearly 18,000 minutes played.
Tawanda Blessing Chirewa
At 20, Tawanda Blessing Chirewa is at the beginning of his career but he’s already making waves. Born in England but holding a Zimbabwean passport, he’s played in English football since 2019, starting out with League One side Ipswich Town before moving to Wolverhampton. He’s split his 2023/24 season between the Wolves U21 team and the club’s main Premier League squad, racking up 515 playing minutes and four goals.
Jordan Bhekithemba Zemura
Jordan Zemura is a Zimbabwean defender who spent much of his life in the UK. He started his professional football career playing for AFC Bournemouth in 2020, where he made two appearances for the then-Championship side. In his second season, Zemura made 33 league appearances and knocked in three goals on the team’s journey to the runner-up spot in the Championship. This was enough to earn a promotion into the Premier League, with Zemura making 19 appearances that season.
For 2023/24, he’s moved to Italy, competing in Serie A for Udinese. He’s made 22 appearances so far this season, though he’d have made more had it not been for a month-long absence due to a thigh injury.
Phila Tinotenda Kadewere
Phila Kadewere is the most successful Zimbabwean player currently competing in Europe. Originally from Harare, the 28-year-old attacker has been competing in European football since 2015 when he joined Swedish side Djurgården. Since then, he’s competed in France and Spain, most recently joining Nantes.
Over his nine years on the continent, he’s made 179 appearances and scored 51 goals, the most of all current Zimbabwean players.
Online Reporter