ARCHFORD Gutu scored for his Swedish top-flight football side Kalmar FF in the team’s first preseason friendly match against IFK Berga on Saturday as the Warriors midfielder tries to impress club new coach Peter Swärdh.
Gutu, after failing to get regular playing time at Kalmar FF, was sent on loan to second-tier side Värnamo where he spent the last six months of the season.
But Swärdh, who joined the club this year, has recalled the 20-year-old to the team for the pre-season training camp which began some few weeks ago.
And it appears the former Dynamos man is doing enough to convince the coach to be given a chance in the team after coming off the bench at half-time, and needed just five minutes on the pitch to score the second goal for his team.
According to reports from Sweden, Gutu thundered a shot that hit the cross bar and into the nets from outside the penalty box in the 50th minute after another African Papa Diouf had opened the scoring in the first half.
After the match, Swärdh named Gutu as one of the three players that had impressed on the day.
“Papa was very strong and looked spirited throughout. Even Hovda [Tor Oyvind] was one of our senior players who did well. Gutu flashed from time to time,” said Swärdh in his post-match comments. Gutu, who is entering the final year of his contract, would be hoping to maintain the same form and convince Swärdh to give him another deal.
Kalmar will have their second pre-season match against Halmstad BK on Saturday before welcoming Helsingborgs IF at their Olympia Field Plan Stadium the following weekend for the opening league match of the 2015/16 season.
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Still in Europe, there was still no joy for Knowledge Musona whose Belgian side KV Oostende were beaten away at Gent on Sunday for their second league loss since the resumptions of the Pro League last week.
Following their 7-1 home defeat last weekend, Oostende were beaten 3-1 with Musona in his second league match since switching from German Bundesliga side Hoffenheim in December.
After starting in last week’s humiliating loss and being pulled off just after the hour mark, Musona on Sunday started from the bench joining action on 46th minute.
Oostende, 10th on the log standings at the moment, are away to leaders Club Brugge next Friday before hosting Genk the following weekend.
Another Warriors man Marvelous Nakamba was also on the receiving end when his side Vitesse, in Holland’s top-flight league, were soundly beaten 4-1 by Heerenveen for their seventh defeat of the season in 19 matches.
Nakamba was an unused substitute for the match as he continues to struggle to get into the team. Since his move from France last year, the 20-year-old has made only two substitute appearances for the club, with a total eight minutes.
In Botswana, Madinda Ndlovu’s Township Rollers got back to winning ways with a 4-2 victory over Extension Gunners to remain top of the Botswana BeMobile League.
Before the Saturday win, Rollers had picked just one point from their previous two matches with a defeat to Police XI and a draw against Gaborone United which saw their lead trimmed to just three points. Ndlovu is looking for his second successive title with Rollers, and a fourth straight league crown in Botswana after winning two with Mochudi Centre Chiefs.
