HARARE – Former Nigeria Under-20 forward Nonso Uneke is being held at Harare Remand Prison amid reports that he awaits deportation.
The 25-year-old had been on a trial stint with Dynamos but was nabbed by immigration officials during a recent practice match between the premiership champions and Black Mambas at Morris Depot.
H-Metro caught up with Uneke during a recent tour of the Harare Remand Prison where he opened up on his ordeal. Uneke now blames part of the Dynamos management, chief among them team manager Richard Chihoro, accusing them of master-minding his arrest.
However, Chihoro vehemently denied the allegations. “I was shocked when I was picked by officials from the immigration department during the match claiming that they had seen me in South Africa,” said the distraught Nonso.
“I feel that Dynamos officials were behind it and wasted my time by failing to be open with me after they invited me into the country for my services and dumped me.
“Dynamos team manager started hiding from me and the late Adam Ndlovu was my last hope after he promised to accommodate me at Chicken Inn. I regret Adam’s death for he was my last hope as Dynamos never looked after me during my stay here after they invited me last year in September.
“My visa expires in July and my return ticket is still valid and I do not deserve being counted among the suspects, I have done nothing illegal. It is very unfair and this is my first time to be in the mercy of prison officers and it was better for Dynamos to show their dissatisfaction than exposing me like this.
“I am a former Nigerian under 20 soccer player and I still have a bright future than languishing in a foreign prison and even my embassy is not aware of this,” lamented Nonso. Chihoro said that the Dynamos coach had asked him to stay as they look for more strikers distancing the executive from the accusations.
“We never neglected Nonso as everyone else is aware that we are looking for more strikers. His arrest might have been necessitated by his over-staying in the country and Dynamos is not to blame for that.
“Of course the team coach had asked him to wait as the coach assessed their strikers and I am sure his manager Musavengana is the one with a better understanding about him,” said Chihoro. Musavengana could not be reached for comment at the time of going to print.
Francis Mabika, the assistant regional immigration officer last night clarified that Nonso had overstayed. He added that the visa that Nonso refers to is just an entry authority, which is different from the time that a foreigner is supposed to spend in the country per visit. H Metro
