MUSONA STARTS IN EUROPA . . . The smiling Assassin regains place
By Grace Chingoma
Zimbabwe captain Knowledge Musona bounced back to the starting line-up for Anderlecht but was unable to inspire the Belgians giants to victory as they began their Europa League campaign with a defeat away to Spartak Trnava away in Slovakia on Thursday night.
The Belgians began on a losing note when going down 1-0.
Musona has recently been overlooked by coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck with the Warriors skipper having to contend with coming from the bench in a number of matches.
As Anderlecht began their group stage campaign, Musona was handed a start and featured for the greater part of the game, only to be replaced in the 83rd minute by Evgeniy Makarenko.
His substitution came five minutes after the hosts had taken the lead through Matej Oravec’s header from the right following a corner.
Although Anderlecht dominated the match with much possession and shots at goal, the Slovak side carried the day.
Musona’s team are in Group D which also has Dinamo Zagreb and Turkish titans Fenerbache with the Croatians winning 4-1 at home.
For the Warriors family, the return of their captain in the starting side for Anderlecht was welcome news.
Warriors team manger Wellington Mpandare said last night that they were closely monitoring all their players in both the local and foreign leagues as they gear up for the crunch African Cup of Nations clashes against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Warriors will travel to Kinshasa on October 13 before hosting the Congolese at the National Sports Stadium in a night game three days later.
And Mpandare was happy to see Musona getting the game time he badly needs for his sharpness as he looks to lead the Warriors from the front.
“It means a lot to the national team considering that when we played against Congo in Brazzaville, our captain was missing game time.
“Yes, Anderlecht might have lost but it also matters a lot for us that Knowledge is now getting game time.
“Costa (Nhamoinesu), who was also injured, is back and played on Monday and they won away.
“Khama (Billiat) is also back to full fitness and has been scoring and enjoying good form at Kaizer Chiefs and we pray that we have a full squad when we go to DRC as we really need to win those encounters,’’ Mpandare said.
Musona had come off the bench in Anderlecht’s last league assignment against Genk before going one notch better and being thrust back into the starting team.
The Zimbabwe captain was one of the marquee signings for the Belgian giants when the club’s billionaire owner, Marc Coucke, splashed a fortune to lure him from KV Oostende.
Coucke, who previously controlled Oostende, took Musona to the Belgian giants when he took over ownership of the team.
But Musona’s absence from the starting team had drawn the ire of a number of Warriors fans with former Zimbabwe international Cephas Chimedza taking to social media to question the move.
Chimedza, who is now based in Belgium, wondered how Musona was being kept out of the team.
“He is the best player they have in their team, by far,” Chimedza tweeted.
The club’s coach has been preferring Croatian forward Ivan Santini, who is the current top scorer in the Belgian top-flight league with seven goals. The Herald.
