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NewsDay

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Karuru, Sweswe seek moves

Sport
THE January player transfer market is now in full swing, but there is not much business happening for most Zimbabwean soccer players abroad

THE January player transfer market is now in full swing, but there is not much business happening for most Zimbabwean soccer players abroad who continue to struggle to make it into the big European leagues.

Zimbabweans Abroad with Henry Mhara With most of the African stars signing lucrative contracts or extending their deals with the European big teams, Warriors playmaker Ovidy Karuru was released by his Belgium club OH Leuven.

While the 24-year old player has publicly dismissed the reports, the club’s official website reported that Karuru has been left out of the team’s training camp in Spain and has been told to look “for another employer”.

His manager Ralph Nkomo told our sister paper The Standard this week that the slippery midfielder, who reportedly had a bust up with the club’s coach and was subsequently frozen out of the team, has attracted interests from Greece and Turkey and would definitely move.

The names of the interested clubs were not mentioned, but it is hoped that they are not those micky-mouse teams for the sake of Karuru’s career and for the national team’s benefit.

Closer to home, reports from South Africa yesterday suggested Thomas Sweswe’s intended move to South Africa’s Absa premiership side Black Aces from Bidvest Wits University hit a brick wall after the defender failed a fitness test.

The Warriors hardman had reportedly agreed terms with Amazayoni, but the latest distraction means that he is now set to remain with Wits up until July when the transfer window opens again.

Sweswe has not seen much action this term mainly due to an injury he suffered at the start of this season.

“I haven’t fully recovered, but I should be OK in the next few months. I don’t think I will be able to move to another club at this moment,” Sweswe said yesterday.

Still at Bidvest Wits, the club has said they would not release veteran midfielder Tinashe Nengomasha despite reported interests from AmaZulu and Bloemfontein Celtic. Denver Mukamba is also likely to remain at the club despite failing to get first team action since his move from Dynamos last season.

Rodreck Mutuma has also had a torrid time at Bloemfontein Celtic and has been linked with a move. Czech Republic-based Costa Nhamoinesu, at Sparta Praha, remains the country’s best export in recent years. The former Masvingo and AmaZulu left-back has cemented his place in the starting line-up of the team since his move from Poland at the start of the season.

He has featured in all the 16 league games his team has played this season and so good have been his performances that he was voted the league’s November Player of the Month.

While the Czech Republic league is not on the same standing with the Barclays Premier League or the Spanish Laliga, it is also up there and if the team continues to excel, Nhamoinesu is assured of rubbing shoulders with some of the best players in the world in the Uefa Champions League next season. Midfielder Quincy Antipas has also been doing well in the Danish League.

He played the full match when his Brondby claimed a point away at Sønderjyske to maintain fourth place on the log standings which guarantees them Europa League next season. With three games left before the season ends, Antipas is almost assured of playing in Europe’s second biggest club competition next season.

Archford Gutu left the country last week for Europe to start pre-season training with his Swedish club Kalmar.

The Warriors midfielder was last season linked with a move to Spain, but after a below par performance in the season where he made just six appearances for his club, that move is now very much unlikely.

Bradley Pritchard, who plays for English Championship side Charlton Athletic, is another player who was receiving rave views last season, with big clubs such as Fulham and Aston Villa reportedly interested, but his performance has dipped of late.

He is struggling to get into the first team for his side who are three points above the relegation zone.