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Logarušić happy for Musona

Sport
WARRIORS coach Zdravko Logarušić is delighted that his captain Knowledge Musona managed to extend his stay at KAS Eupen where he will play regularly.

WARRIORS coach Zdravko Logarušić is delighted that his captain Knowledge Musona managed to extend his stay at KAS Eupen where he will play regularly.

BY HENRY MHARA

The Warriors skipper extended his loan deal with the Belgian league side last week until the end of next season.

Musona joined the side on loan in the middle of last season from his parent club Anderlecht for the rest of the campaign which was, however, ended prematurely following the coronavirus outbreak.

But the 30-year-old had done enough to impress in the short space of time that he spent at the club by contributing two goals and several assists in seven matches.

Logarušić told NewsDay Sport yesterday that the Eupen move for Musona could help revive his career which looked to be stalling while at Anderlecht.

“I’m very happy that Musona is still at Eupen. This is a club that he felt comfortable and he produced some good games and scored some few goals. It looks like the environment at that club is much better for him than at Anderlecht. I’m happy for him and let’s wait and see how this will continue going forward,” Logarušić said.

Musona became an outcast at Anderlecht since joining the club in 2018 on a four-year contract where he had very little game time.

A horrible Africa Cup of Nations campaign last year where Musona missed several good chances for the Warriors, was blamed on his lack of game time at club level.

The striker is desperate to reboot his career and believes Eupen could provide a perfect platform for that.

“The decision to play another year for Eupen was very easy for me,” Musona said at a Press conference the day after his loan extension from RSC Anderlecht to KAS Eupen was confirmed.

“Last season I found everything I was looking for here; playing time, trust, appreciation and the encouragement of the fans. That’s exactly what I need to be happy and play football well.”

Eupen coach Benat San Jose was impressed by Musona’s input in the five months that he spent at the club, and is delighted that his side managed to tie down the striker for another season.

In Musona, Jose believes he found a prolific goalscorer who can help the team achieve its target.

Eupen struggled for goals last season as they battled relegation, with attacking midfielder Danijel Miličević finishing as the club’s top goalscorer with five goals.

So convinced in Musona’s abilities is Jose that the Spaniard has reportedly offered the striker the team’s number 10 jersey, normally given to the club’s best player.

“Knowledge Musona is a very strong, complete and important player for us. He has proved his qualities and shown that he suits us,” Jose said.

“It is a big step forward for the club to be able to start the season with such a player. Therefore, I would like to thank the club management for bringing the negotiations with Anderlecht and Knowledge Musona to a successful conclusion. I’m also happy for the fans that they will see Knowledge Musona again in the Eupen jersey next season.”

Musona is part of the Eupen squad that is currently in Netherlands for pre-season training.

Logarušić is hopeful that the forward will play regularly for the club when the Belgian season starts in the coming few weeks. He wants his captain to get the much-needed match fitness ahead of the national team assignments later this year.

Zimbabwe is set to play in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers before the end of this year, and the coach is praying all his players especially those playing abroad, will be fit enough.

“Besides Musona, we also have our main striker in Lyon (Tino Kadewere) and also Marshall Munetsi in Stade Reims and others in England who are playing in the English Premiership and the championship. We wait and see how they are going to react after the coronavirus break because going for three to four months without football could cause problems. Of course some players will adapt quickly and get their form quickly. But some will need a bit more time,” the Croat said.