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Musona signs for Belgian giants

Sport
WARRIORS skipper Knowledge Musona signed for Belgian giants Anderlecht from his current club KV Oostende in the same league, and will play in next season’s Europa league, starting in the group stages of the competition.

WARRIORS skipper Knowledge Musona signed for Belgian giants Anderlecht from his current club KV Oostende in the same league, and will play in next season’s Europa league, starting in the group stages of the competition.

BY HENRY MHARA

Reports last week from the European country had linked the striker, who turns 28 on June 21, with a number of clubs with Standard Liege, who will play in the more lucrative Uefa Champions League next season, said to be favourites to snatch him.

However, it appears it is Anderlecht who have since won the race for his signature on a lucrative four-year contract, with the club confirming his arrival on their official Twitter account.

Musona is one of three players that were unveiled by the club yesterday.

The other players are Antonio Milic, Croatian international defender, who also joined from KV Oostende and Serbian Luca Adzic, who was at Red Star Belgrade (Crvena Zvezda) last season.

The move is a big step in the Smiling Assasin’s career as he will be playing in the Europa league next season.

Unlike last year when he featured in European second-tier competition with KV Oostende, playing in the play-offs, where they fell to Marseille, despite scoring a wonder goal, this time, he will start in the group stages.

The team booked an automatic qualification into the group stages after finishing third in the Belgian First Division A playoffs, behind Standard Liege who will play in the Uefa Champions League play-offs and Marvellous Nakamba’s Club Brugge, the champions who will go straight into the group stages of European’s most glamorous and lucrative football club competition.

Anderlecht is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions, with five trophies, as well as in the Belgian domestic league, with 34 championship wins.

They have also won nine Belgian Cups and hold the record for the most consecutive Belgian championship titles, winning five between the 1963–1964 and 1967–1968 seasons.

Musona joined Oostende in 2015 from Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim and has been one of the club’s standout performers since his arrival. Despite featuring on the left wing, the Zimbabwe international has netted 41 goals and registered 18 assists in 112 games, a feat which has attracted attention across Europe.

He is expected in Harare later this week, to join the Warriors camp, as they start preparations for the Cosafa Cup defense early next month.

The former Kaizer Chiefs man, is part of the star-studded Warriors squad announced by coach Sunday Chidzambwa for the regional tournament, where Zimbabwe will be seeking a record sixth title.

Other big names in the squad are the team’s poster boy Khama Billiat, Kundai Benyu, Costa Nhamoinesu, Macauley Bonnie and Tendai Darikwa.

Nakamba, still basking in the league glory with Club Brugge, Teenage Hadebe and Ronald Pfumbidzai have all pulled out of the squad due to injuries.