Down and out. . . Warriors suffer striker Evans Rusike blow . . . Fears abound of another injury-ravaged camp

By Petros Kausiyo

As was the case with their last assignment in Brazzaville, Zimbabwe’s Warriors have been dealt another major injury blow, with in-form SuperSport United striker Evans Rusike ruled out of next week’s African Cup of Nations showdown with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Rusike has been sidelined for the next three weeks owing to an ankle injury he picked while featuring for SuperSport United in their MTN8 cup final against Cape Town City at Moses Mabhida in Duran on Saturday night.

As the contest, which had remained goalless headed for extra-time, coach Kaitano Tembo was forced to withdraw his leading striker who was now hobbling after picking up the injury.

Tembo had to make some tactical changes as he threw in another of his Zimbabwean compatriots at the club — veteran defender Onismor Bhasera two minutes from regulation time.

SuperSport however, went on to lose the match 4-1 on penalties after the two sides had remained deadlocked even after extra time.

But the final in which both Tembo and Rusike were seeking their first silverware as coach and player not only ended on a losing note for both the gaffer and the striker, but came at a huge cost for the club and the Warriors.

This is because a scan on Rusike’s injury in Pretoria revealed yesterday that the forward who was used at the tip of the Warriors attack in their 1-1 draw against Congo in Brazzaville last month will now miss the crunch back-to-back encounters against DRC in Kinshasa and Harare.

The Warriors will travel to Kinshasa for the October 13 clash before they host the Central Africans at the National Sports Stadium three days later.

Coach Sunday Chidzambwa who had to grapple with the absence of some key players such as Marvellous Nakamba, Nyasha Mushekwi, Tino Kadewere and Costa Nhamoinesu for the trip to Brazzaville has already seen his plans for the journey to Kinshasa dented by the injury blow to Rusike.

Club Brugge midfielder Nakamba and AmaZulu’s Ovidy Karuru are set to return from injuries, but it is on his central attackers that Chidzambwa has been robbed off options by injuries.

Team manager Wellington Mpandare in confirming the injury to Rusike revealed that they had called up Bidvest Wits’ Terrence Dzvukamanja.

Mpandare, however, admitted that Rusike’s injury would be a huge setback to the coach’s plans for the DRC assignments, which potentially could decide who wins Group G at the end of the qualifying marathon.

“Evans is out for three weeks. He came from a scan today and we have had to call in Terrence as a replacement.

“His injury is a big blow considering the form that he was in. He started the game in Congo and he was very highly likely to start again in Kinshasa. If you look at the out and out striking options that we have, we now only have Knox (Mutizwa) although Knowledge (Musona) can play in that role, he normally enjoys his game coming from the wide areas,’’ Mpandare said.

Mpandare said with the ABSA Premiership, from where the Warriors draw the bulk of their players, resuming tonight, it is the senior team’s prayers that more injuries do not stalk them.

“Clubs in South Africa are resuming league games tomorrow and at the weekend and we are praying that we do not suffer any further setbacks with injuries before we travel to DRC.

“When you have such problems with injuries, it also puts into perspective the need to have depth. Unfortunately, we already do not have Nyasha and Tino but one can only imagine if the passports for such players like McCauley Bonne, Kelly Lunga had been processed, we could have had more strikers to choose from,’’ Mpandare said.

The ABSA Premiership clubs will play two games each before the international break with the first batch of the games lined up for tonight including George Chigova’s Polokwane City’s clash against SuperSport at Old Peter Mokaba stadium while four other matches will be on at various venues tomorrow night.

DRC coach Florent Ibengé is also not taking chances for the top of the table clashes against Zimbabwe and has named a 36-man strong side local and foreign-based players.

Meanwhile, Benni McCarthy has backed Tembo to bounce back from the heartbreak of SuperSport United’s MTN8 soccer final defeat to his Cape Town City on Saturday.

City goalkeeper Peter Leeuwenburgh emerged the hero in the lottery, saving spot-kicks from Bradley Grobler and Reneilwe Letsholonyane.

After losing last year’s final to SuperSport, McCarthy finally clinched his first trophy as a coach in his second season.

However, after the match, he took time to encourage his beaten counterpart.

“He’s going to go through the same I went through last season. As a first-time head coach, you think there’s a big opportunity there, and then when it doesn’t happen, and it happens in a lottery ticket in the manner that it did, it will haunt the coach for a little bit,” McCarthy told the media.

“But I think he can come back stronger because he’s got great players and you can see that the players have taken to him and these guys are willing to go the extra mile for him.

“And I think he’s got something special there, you know, so he must just keep going — not that I’m an expert now because I’ve won my cup and I can give expert advice, he said.

DRC squad:

Auguy Kalambayi (Sanga Balende), Joël Kiassumbua (Servette FC; Switzerland), Nathan Mabruki (DCMP), Anthony Mossi (Chiasso; Switzerland), Matampi Vumy (Al Ansar Club Medina; Saudi Arabia), Jordan Botaka (Sint Truiden; Belgium), Nelson Munganga Omba (Vclub), Glody Ngonda Muzinga (Vclub), Djuma Shani (Vclub), Fabrice Ngoma Lwamba (Vclub), Makusu Mundele (Vclub), Yannick Bangala Litombo (Vclub), Djos Issama Mpeko (TP Mazembe), Arsene Zola (TP Mazembe), Glody Likondja (TP Mazembe), Mika Michee (TP Mazembe), Kevin Mondeko (TP Mazembe), Ben Malango (TP Mazembe), Elia Meschak (TP Mazembe), Paul-Jose Mpoku (Standard Liege; Belgium), Christian Luyindama (Standard Liege; Belgium), Firmin Mubele (Toulouse; France), Cedric Bakambu (Beijing Gouan; China), Britt Assombalanga (Middelsborough; England), Benik Afobe (Stoke City; England), Bobo Ungenda (Primeiro de Agosto; Angola), Jonathan Bolingi (Antwerp; Belgium), Junior Kabananga (Astana; Kazakhstan), Chadrac Akolo (Stuttgart; Germany), Wilfried Moke (Konyaspor; Turkey), Jacques Maghoma (Birmingham City; England), Chikito Lema Mabidi (Raja Casablanca; Morocco), Gael Kakuta (Rayo Vallecano; Spain), Jordan Ikoko (Guigamp; France), Yannick Bolasie (Aston Villa; England), Arthur Masuaku (West Ham; England) The Herald