WARRIORS defender Costa Nhamoinesu is on the verge of Uefa Champions League football next season after his Czech Republic side Sparta Praha beat Slovan Liberek 4-1 on Saturday to move to within two points of the title.
Henry Mhara
Praha are on 70 points, 10 clear of second-placed Viktoria Plzeň at the top.
With four games remaining before the league concludes, the log leaders will need two points from the remaining games to be crowned champions, whose reward is automatic qualification for Europe’s elite competition.
They host fifth-placed Teplice on Saturday night, and maximum points in that match will see the team reach an unassailable 73-point mark to secure the title.
Nhamoinesu has played a pivotal part in Praha’s success story this season, where they are unbeaten, having won a record 22 matches.
The 24-year-old has started and finished 24 of Praha’s league matches this season, scoring three goals. He was voted Czech Liga November Player of the Month for his exploits in his debut season following his switch from Poland last year.
The former Masvingo United and Amazulu defender is expected to be part of the Warriors team that begins their qualifiers 2015 Africa Cup of Nations against Tanzania next month.
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Another Warriors player almost assured of European football next season is Quincy Antipas whose Danish side Brøndby is fourth on the log table with four games remaining. Their current spot guarantees them Europa Cup football next season.
Antipas still has a chance to play Uefa Champions League football although as his side is five points behind the team that occupies the coveted spot, with 12 points still to fight for.
The 30-year-old has played in 21 matches for his side this season, starting in 14 of those and has one goal to his name.
Mike Temwanjira’s Romanian club Vaslui dented their chances of European football next year after they were defeated 1-0 away to Cluj on Saturday. Vaslui are seven points behind the team occupying the Europa League spot, with five games remaining in the Romanian Liga 1.
31-year-old Temwanjira has started in 27 of the team’s 29 games this season, scoring five goals, including a winner against log leaders Steaua Bucureşti last week.
But away from European football, the biggest story involving a local football personality plying trade beyond the borders this week is obviously that of Madinda Ndlovu, who made history in Botswana after winning the Botswana B-Mobile title for the third time in a row.
The former Warriors mentor, who won the same title with Mochudi Centre Chiefs, repeated the feat on Saturday, this time with Township Rollers who beat Miscellaneous 1-0 to claim the title.
He became the first coach and foreigner to win the Be-Mobile three times in a row.
Rollers finished the season on 64 points, three better than second-placed BDF XI.
