Zimbabweans abroad: Nhamoinesu ends seven years at Sparta Prague, Kadewere’s World Cup dream

July 15, 2020 admin Transfers 0

Goal presents a round-up of the latest news lines from players from the Southern African country who ply their trade abroad

Olympique Lyon forward Tino Kaderwere has admitted that he is yet to provide his best for the Zimbabwe national team and promises to deliver more in the country’s quest to qualify for the 2022 Fifa World Cup.

Kadewere expressed respect for fellow Warriors attackers Knowledge Musona and Kaizer Chiefs Khama Billiat, who have overshadowed him in the national team but said his chance to shine is coming.

After some impressive performances in club football which saw him signing for Lyon from Le Havre, Kadewere has often been criticised in Zimbabwe for struggling to translate that form to the Warriors.

He has so far managed two goals in eight national team appearances.

“To be honest, I haven’t had a huge spark with my national team,’’ Kadewere told football presenter Carol Tshabalala.

“And, I still have time, I think. I’m 24 years old and I respect the guys that play in front of me [Musona and Billiat]. I always believe that, one day, I will make my nation proud.’’

Kadewere says he is keen to help Zimbabwe qualify for their first-ever World Cup tournament and the Warriors are in the same group as South Africa, Ghana and Ethiopia in their bid for a ticket to Qatar.

He singled out the home and away matches against South Africa as the ones he is looking forward to most.

“And the goal, for my country, is to go to the World Cup,’’ said Kadewere.

“I want us to go to the World Cup and people to get to say that Tino was in the generation that made our country go to the World Cup for the first time.

“I know, you are not going to like this. You know we have South Africa in our group, but I’m looking forward to that game. I have never played [against] South Africa, but I want to play South Africa. I have played Zambia, they are our neighbours, I have played Botswana, I have played Mozambique, but not South Africa.

“I am looking forward to that game and it’s one of the hurdles, in front of us, for us to go to the World Cup, you know what I mean.’’

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest manager Sabri Lamouchi has described Zimbabwe defender Tendayi Darikwa as a “fantastic” player with the right-back back from a long-term injury.

Darikwa recently returned from the injury and is yet to play an official match, managing to sit on the bench twice.

But Lamouchi has hailed Darikwa’s availability for their push for a Premier League return.

“Tendayi has worked hard for many, many weeks and now he’s back with the group. I’m happy for him because he’s a fantastic boy,” Lamouchi was quoted as saying by Nottingham Post.

Fifth-placed Forest’s best chances of securing Premier League promotion lies in ending the regular season in the top-six and qualifying for the promotion play-offs.

Elsewhere, former Zimbabwe international Costa Nhamoinesu has left Czech Liga giants Sparta Prague after seven seasons at the club.

Ex-Arsenal attacking midfielder Tomas Rosicky, who was Nhamoinesu’s former teammate at Sparta Prague and now the club’s sporting director, has paid tribute to the Zimbabwean.

“Costa was a great professional for the whole time at Sparta. He became a real Spartan,” Rosicky told the Sparta Prague website.

A Czech Liga winner with Sparta, Nhamoinesu made more than 200 appearances for the club he later captained after joining from Polish side Zaglebie Lubin in 2013.

The 34-year-old helped the Czech giants reach the 2015/16 Uefa Europa League quarter-finals and bows out after recently winning his second Czech Cup.

“We meet to part and we part to meet,” said Nhamoinesu

“Thank you for all the amazing years. The most important thing for me is that we always stuck together, in good and in bad.”

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