UNHERALDED Zimbabwean and Jomo Cosmos striker Charlton Mashumba continues to make football headlines after scoring twice to ensure a 2-0 win for his side over Cape Town All Stars on the final day of the South African National First Division league, to ensure a berth in the promotion playoffs.
According to reports from South Africa, the 22-year-old Mashumba scored the first of his goals as early as the fifth minute before sealing the points for his side in the 72nd minute.
It was the seventh and eighth goals of the season for the talented striker who finished second on the top goal scorers list.
His form has seen him being linked with moves to big South African Premiership sides Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs who are both reported to have asked for his availability in the next transfer window.
The win saw Cosmos finishing second on the log standings and sealed a place in the promotion playoffs where they will face Moroka Swallows and Black Leopards.
Cosmos and Leopards will start the ball rolling on Sunday. The games will be played in a mini-league format, home and away, and the team with the most points will compete in the top-flight next season.
Still on playoffs, Knowledge Musona and Tendayi Darikwa missed on their playoffs chances in Belgium and England respectively.
Darikwa’s English League One side Chesterfield were involved in a promotional playoff semi-final against Preston for a place in the Football League Championship, the second-tier league, but were handed a 4-0 aggregate defeat.
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Musona’s KV Oostende were humiliated 6-1 by Lokeren in a Europa dead-rubber playoff with the Warriors man lasting 78 minutes.
Oostende went into the match third from the bottom on the four-team Europa playoffs log standings and out of the race while Lokeren started the match top and needed a win to make sure of clinching the ticket.
Warriors left-back Costa Nhamoinesu was also on the receiving end at the weekend in the Czech Republic, his side Sparta Praha falling 2-0 at home to log leaders Viktoria Plzen in a top-of-the-table clash.
Nhamoinesu played the whole match after recovering from an injury that saw him being substituted in his team’s previous match.
The defeat left Nhamoinesu’s team six points behind and with a whole lot of work to do if they are to win the league title, with only three games to go before the season ends.
Silas Songani and Quincy Antipas’ Danish clubs SønderjyskE and Hobro clashed at the weekend and the battle ended in a 2-all stalemate.
Songani played the entire match while Antipas did not make the final 18 for his side who are however positioned better on the log standings on sixth and with a real chance of qualifying for the Europa League. SønderjyskE are ninth and seven points behind Hobro.
In South Africa, Willard Katsande scored his first goal of the season for Kaizer Chiefs who were confirmed champions and handed the trophy after a 2-0 win over Chippa United.
After the champions had taken an early lead, the Warriors man doubled the advantage just after the hour mark from a cleverly-worked set piece which saw Mandla Masango picking the unmarked Katsande at the back post and the midfielder gleefully turned home his volley.
Meanwhile, Warriors defender Carlington Nyadombo is reportedly on the verge of signing for Premiership side Ajax Cape Town.
Reports suggest that he will start training with the Cape team on Monday ahead of their Nedbank Cup final against Mamelodi Sundowns at the weekend.
Nyadombo, who was released by AmaZulu earlier in the year, is expected to sign with the club before they go off-season.
