Siphakeme .Mnindwa
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
AFTER a whirlwind international break that saw him score his first goal for Zimbabwe and seal their place in next year’s Africa Cup of Nations, Motherwell’s Tawanda Maswanhise is eager to refocus on his club career.
The 21-year-old forward had been in scintillating form for the steelmen, scoring in three consecutive games before his international exploits.
However, his return to Scotland was marred by travel delays, which forced him to make a late appearance off the bench in Motherwell’s 2-1 defeat to Ross County. Maswanhise is now looking to put that disappointment behind him and re-discover his form when Hibernian visit Fir Park. Speaking to the Press ahead of the weekend’s game he said: “There were delays from connecting flights, so I got back late, and the gaffer spoke to me about not starting,” Maswanhise explained.
“I only had a couple of hours, and then I was up the road. It was just a change of clothes, and then I was off. It was a bit of a shambles, but you’ve just got to deal with it and look forward to this weekend.”
Despite the travel chaos, Maswanhise is still basking in the glory of his maiden international goal, which elevated his status in Zimbabwe.
“It’s a massive, massive achievement,” he beamed.
“People now look up to me back home, so hopefully, I can do more for my nation.” Maswanhise’s goal in a 1-1 draw with Kenya sealed Zimbabwe’s place in next year’s Africa Cup of Nations, sparking widespread jubilation.
“Everyone was lively,” he recalled.
“We hadn’t qualified for a few years, and it’s a big achievement for the whole nation. We got a lot of love.”
As one of the players born and bred in England who Zimbabwe have been encouraging to consider playing for the Warriors, Maswanhise is proud to be flying the flag of his country.
His performances for Motherwell caught the attention of Zimbabwe coach Michael Nees, who handed him his first start for the national team.
Maswanhise repaid that trust with a stellar show, capped by his goal, which ultimately earned Zimbabwe the point they needed to seal their sixth appearance at the Afcon jamboree.
With his international stock on the rise, the sky is the limit. In the Afcon qualifying campaign Zimbabwe finished second in Group J, behind unbeaten Cameroon, and qualified for the tournament alongside six other Cosafa region teams.
The Warriors will be looking to progress past the group stage for the first time in their Afcon history.
Zimbabwe opened their qualifying campaign with two successive 0-0 draws against Kenya and Cameroon in Uganda in September. They then secured back-to-back wins against Namibia in Johannesburg in October, before drawing their final match to confirm their spot in the finals.
With that, Luton Town midfielder Nakamba joined a select group of captains who have led the Warriors to the Afcon finals, including legendary players Peter Ndlovu, Willard Katsande and Knowledge Musona.
mbulelo smpofu
