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Zim footballers make desperate moves

Sport
Warriors midfielder Tafadzwa Kutinyu has joined the great trek as local players desperately flock out of the country in search of football, as authorities continue to shut out the game as part of COVID-19 containment measures.

BY FORTUNE MBELE

Warriors midfielder Tafadzwa Kutinyu has joined the great trek as local players desperately flock out of the country in search of football, as authorities continue to shut out the game as part of COVID-19 containment measures.

Domestic football has been suspended for the past seven weeks and there is uncertainty over its resumption, leaving players stranded.

Kutinyu is in Tanzania where he is looking to tie a new deal with  Diamond Trust Bank (DTB Bank) after he had been linked with Chicken Inn.

With seven days before the international transfer window closes, former Warriors skipper Danny “Deco” Phiri says he is still weighing options and is linked  with DTB Bank which competes in a lower tier league in Tanzania.

Phiri and goalkeeper Edmore Sibanda were dismissed by South African top side Lamontville Golden Arrows and has been club hunting since June.

The former Chicken Inn midfielder was not forthcoming about his next move yesterday save to say he was looking at offers, but confirmed that the Tanzanian side wanted his services.

“I am still around. They want me there (at DTB FC), but I am still waiting for other offers. I am looking at all options right now,” Phiri said.

Kutinyu is said to have flown out to Tanzania on Sunday to join DTB FC.

Kutinyu did not kick a ball for the GameCocks since he returned from Guinea where he played for Horoya.

Chicken Inn battled to get his international reverse clearance from the Guinea Football Association to register him for the Chibuku Super Cup before it was suspended, but were successful before the local transfer window closed a few weeks ago.

Phiri spent five years at Golden Arrows, a club he joined in 2016 until he was axed in June.

He played alongside Warriors players Divine Lunga and Knox Mutizwa and was later joined by the big goalkeeper Sibanda.

Lunga has since joined DStv Premier League champions Mamelodi Sundowns, but has not made it to the first 11 for the Brazilians’ first two games.

Phiri’s career at Abafana Bes’thende was marred by injury last year after he suffered a knee injury that kept him on the sidelines for five months.

He was to bounced back towards the end of the season with Arrows ending the 2020/21 league programme on position four.

Phiri played 97 matches for Golden Arrows after joining them in 2016 from Chicken Inn after it won the 2015 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title.

Other Zimbabweans playing in Tanzania are Prince Dube, Bruce Kangwa and Jimmy Tigere, who play for Azam and Perfect, who plays for top league champions Simba SC.

Some players have moved to South Africa in the second tier league while others have transferred to Swaziland and Botswana in search of football.

Follow Fortune on Twitter @FortuneMbele