BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
WARRIORS leftback Divine Lunga could be Europe-bound during this transfer window with reports suggesting that Belgian side Genk and unnamed clubs in the French Ligue 1 are after his signature following his outstanding performance at the 2019 African Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals.
The Zimbabwean international’s manager Gibson Mahachi yesterday confirmed that there was interest from clubs in Belgium and France, but could not divulge the identity of the clubs for fear of jeopardising negotiations.
“Yes, there are inquiries from clubs in France and Belgium. I am currently seized with those inquiries, but I can’t reveal the identity of the clubs at this stage. You know some clubs don’t want that until such a time there is something concrete. I will confirm once there is any other development,” Mahachi said.
While Mahachi refused to name the clubs that are after the left-back, NewsDaySport can reveal that Genk made initial contact with the player soon after he impressed against Egypt in the Afcon opener on June 21 in Cairo, and are in pole position to get his signature.
The 24-year-old, who plays for South African Premiership side Lamontville Golden Arrows, caught the eye of several scouts with his man-marking ability that saw him shutting out Egypt and Liverpool hitman Mohammed Salah before a capacity crowd at the Cairo International Stadium.
He also played a key role in the 1-all draw against Uganda before an injury ruled him out of the decisive final group match against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Ironically, his absence and that of Wales-based Alec Mudimu – who also suffered an injury in the draw against Uganda, exposed the Warriors’ defence as they went on to concede four goals in the 4-0 capitulation against the DRC, to register their heaviest defeat at the tournament since their maiden appearance in Tunisia in 2004.
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It is however, Lunga’s performance against Egypt which appears to have aroused interest from some European clubs.
According to the match statistics, the former Chicken Inn leftback managed a 72% pass accuracy, with two key passes and 2/3 complete dribbles as he kept Salah under wraps for long periods in the match.
“I feel great because the coach gave me a task today to mark Salah,” Lunga said in his post-match interview.
“He (Warriors coach Sunday Chidzambga) said I must stay with Mohamed Salah because he’s a tricky guy. He’s a player who can create a goal any second, so the plan was to stay with him. I was instructed to go with him if he cut inside (on his stronger left foot) or shove him outside (to his weaker right foot). That was the task for today.
“It was hard (dealing with Salah’s movements), so I had to communicate with my defensive midfield to be aware of the positions he was taking. It was about communication only. I wasn’t nervous. I’d been waiting for this moment for a long time to play at the Afcon. I wanted to prove that although Salah is a good player, I am a good player too,” he said.
This was the first time for Lunga to play at the Afcon finals.
Besides Lunga, Warriors forward Khama Billiat who plays for South African football giants Kaizer Chiefs might also be moving to North Africa amid reports that Raja Casablanca of Morocco, Egyptian giants Al Ahly and Zamalek as well as an unnamed Tunisian club are scrambling for his services.
Mudimu has been linked with a move to Turkey while Belgium-based Marvellous Nakamba is on the radar of top clubs including Premiership side Aston Villa and German Bundesliga side Koln.
