ZIMBABWE international defender Teenage Hadebe appears to have reclaimed his place in Yeni Malatyaspor first team having been heavily involved in the last two matches in which he played a full 180 minutes.
BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
The Warriors defender endured a frustrating start to the 2021 season, having fallen down the pecking order as he struggled to hold down a first team shirt. He had until last week, made just four appearances, with two starts, a sharp contrast to last term when he made 23 appearances and was named in the starting line-up in all the league matches he featured.
Hadebe had been tipped to move to a bigger team in Europe. However, the lanky defender combined patience and resilience in the face of adversity.
In the last two matches he has demonstrated he deserves a place even in the most competitive team.
Last week, he started and finished the match which ended in a 1-1 draw against Istanbul Basaksehir. Yeni Malatyaspor had fallen behind at the stroke of first half but they profited from an own goal by the visitors defender to level matters on 50 minutes.
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On Saturday, the Zimbabwean international was also heavily involved as Yeni Malatyspor’s 3-0 annihilation of giants Fenerbache in their own back yard.
Two first half goals by Turkish forwards Adem Buyuk and Umut Bulut and 48-minute strike by Burundi forward Youssouf Ndayishimiye helped the Turkish side to a comfortable victory over their more illustrious opponents.
For a team that only escaped relegation via the boardroom after the league administration decided to drop relegation following COVID-19-induced challenges, this was a perfect response.
If they can continue with this spirit and commitment,their safety in the elite league will be more than guaranteed.
At the individual level, this will help attract more suitors for several players including Hadebe.
More importantly, the Warriors will be the major beneficiaries of his continued involvement at a higher level of the game as they continue their search for glory at the international stage.
Follow Tawanda on Twitter @Tafitawa