Nhamoinesu vows to fight on

By Grace Chingoma

WARRIORS’ defender Costa Nhamoinesu has reaffirmed his commitment to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, insisting he wants to turn a new leaf in his romance with the senior team.

Nhamoinesu put on a man-of-the -match show as the Warriors drew 1-1 with Guinea at Rufaro on Sunday with his fine performance in the heart of defence winning him many admirers.

The fine show went a long way in atoning Nhamoinesu’s previous trait of playing hide-and-seek with the national team call-up.

That he went an extra mile to fork out $1 900 to buy his own ticket from the European country to come for the match underlined his renewed commitment.

ZIFA late yesterday refunded him $1 200 for airfares.

But speaking soon after the Group L qualifier against Guinea at Rufaro, Nhamoinesu vowed to become a regular feature for the national team in the coming assignments.

“I have always been part of the campaign (Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers) it doesn’t mean if at times I don’t come here I am not part of the team. I am a Warrior and would always be a Warrior,” he said.

Nhamoinesu, who had missed playing in front of home crowd, felt the warmth from the supporters.

“It is a great honour to be in the national team and I was very happy and I am greatly honoured to be wearing these national team colours.

“It is always good to come back home. And it is always good to see the fans supporting football as Zimbabwe is home of football and it feels good to be really back home’’.

The former Masvingo United and Amazulu player had, however, previously featured for the Yung Warriors especially the Under-20 side.

Although he put up a five star show in defence, the 29 — year — old defender refused to take personal glory.

“I don’t tend to look at an individual because football is not an individual sport so I tend to look at the overall performance of the team which I would say that the team performed very well, we conceded a goal early in the game, but we managed to fight back so I would like to praise the spirit of the team not an individual.

“We played as a team and we managed to get a point that’s something great for us as a team.”

But it has not been an easy football journey for Nhamoinesu.

However, his breakthrough came when he got a contract with one of the leading football agency in Czech, Sport Invest International in 2012.

Nhamoinesu dumped his Polish manager Wieslaw Grabowski who had facilitated his move to fifth tier Poland club KS, Wisla in 2007 from Zimbabwe.

The football agency which has in its books Arsenal goalkeeper Peter Cech, a few English Premiership players, facilitated the move of the player to Sparta Prague, from Polish first league team Zaglebie Lubin.

2017 African Cup of Nations Qualifiers Results:

Namibia 0, Senegal 2; Comoros 0, Uganda 1; Burundi 2, Niger 0; Rwanda 0, Ghana 1; Sao Tome 0, Morocco 3; Guinea Bissau 2, Congo 4; Liberia 1, Tunisia 0; Botswana 1, Burkina Faso 0; Tanzania 0, Nigeria 0; South Sudan 1, Equatorial Guinea 0; Seychelles 1, Ethiopia 1; Mauritania 3, South Africa 1; Gabon 4, Sudan 0(friendly); Sierra Leone 0, Ivory Coast 0; Madagascar 0, Angola 0; CAR 2, DRC 0; Mauritius 1, Mozambique 0; Swaziland 2, Malawi 2; Lesotho 1, Algeria 3; Zimbabwe 1, Guinea 1; Chad 1, Egypt 5; Kenya 1, Zambia 2; Benin 1, Malawi 1; The Gambia 0, Cameroon 1; Libya 1, Cape Verde 2. The Herald