Marvelous Nakamba
Fungai Muderere, Sports Reporter
WARRIORS midfield dynamo Marvelous Nakamba is ineligible for Zimbabwe’s 2017 Afcon Group B opener against Algeria due to suspension.
The Netherlands-based midfielder accumulated two yellow cards during the qualification stages.
Continental football governing body Caf wrote to notify Zifa about the suspension of the Hwange-born, former Bantu Rovers player.
“For having received two cautions in two different matches in the frame of this competition (matches Number 153 and Number 24) player number 15 Marvelous Nakamba is automatically suspended for one match,” read the Caf letter.
“Seeing that your team has qualified to the final tournament of the Africa Cup of Nations, Gabon 2017, the said player is suspended for the first match of Zimbabwe in the frame of Afcon final tournament scheduled for January 2017.”
The Warriors play against Algeria on January 15 before facing Senegal four days later. Their last group match against Tunisia is set for January 23.
The suspension of Nakamba will see Warriors’ coach Callisto Pasuwa tinkering with his midfield that has the holding pair of captain Willard Katsande and Danny “Deco” Phiri, the exciting Kudakwashe Mahachi and Khama Billiat as the front runners.
The Bantu Rovers youth product could be on the move in the current transfer season, with reports saying he was attracting the attention of English Premiership side Everton, German sides VfL Wolfsburg and Hamburg, as well as Belgium side Anderlecht.
Nakamba’s stock has continued to rise after becoming a regular at Dutch side Vitesse where he has been in impressive form.
@FungaiMuderere
