Nyasha Mushekwi scores again

By Robson Sharuko

Nyasha Mushekwi powered Dalian Yifang to their first Chinese Super League win of the new season by scoring the priceless goal in a 1-0 away win over Shandong Luneng yesterday.

The 31-year-old forward is being eased back into competitive football after undergoing major surgery in Madrid, Spain, last November to sort out a serious injury that forced him to play at half pace for most of last season.

The Zimbabwe international revealed the injury was so serious there were even concerns his football career could be brought to a premature halt.

However, some specialist Spanish doctors managed to deal with the injury and Mushekwi is slowly being rehabilitated back into action by a club that has relied heavily on his goals.

Last season the forward scored 15 goals in matches for Dalian Yifang, who were forced to delay his surgery, until their status in the Chinese Super League had been guaranteed for another year, because of the importance of his goals to their cause.

Yesterday the big forward showed his value to the team by scoring against Luneng.

It was Dalian Yifang’s first win of the season in five starts in which they have drawn two and lost two matches.

What was even more impressive was that this was Luneng’s first league loss of the new campaign.

“Amazing God, wow, it was a tough game but we thank God for this win,” Mushekwi told The Herald yesterday.

He has now scored two league goals in his first three appearances for Dalian Yifang at an average of a goal every other game.

The Chinese club are unbeaten since Mushekwi returned to action.

The powerful forward is one of the players likely to be considered by Warriors coach Sunday Chidzambwa for the AFCON finals in Egypt between June and July this year.

He was part of the cast of Warriors who featured at the last AFCON finals in Gabon two years ago and scored a penalty in the 2-2 draw against Algeria. The Herald