Tag: Mushowani Stars.

GOODBYE RASTA

Chief striker Evans Katema has reportedly joined the great trek to Zambia after signing a contract with top-flight club Zanaco.

The 31-year old Soccer Star Of The Year finalist initially travelled to Zambia at the beginning of January for trials and medicals where he impressed the Zanaco technical team.

Zanaco seem to have developed an appetite for Zimbabwean players after former Dynamos midfielder Tafadzwa “Fire” Rusike’s successful stint with the Lusaka-based side.

Rusike has since joined Zanaco’s FAZ Super League rivals ZESCO United and the former have decided to retain a Zimbabwean flair in their squad by roping in Katema.

His move is a big blow to our team where he had established himself as the chief striker last season, and we were hoping he would form a dream partnership with newboy David Temwanjira this coming season.

It has been a phenomenal rise for Katema who, just over a year ago, was playing in the less glamorous Division One for Mushowani Stars.

He banged in 15 goals for the under-funded side helping them grab the sole ticket into the top-flight at the end of the 2018 season.

In the Premiership he scored 6 goals for Mushowani, which prompted Dembare to sign him in the middle of the season.

He scored another 6 goals for Chazunguza and finished among the league’s top scorers.

His form last season earned him a place in both the local-based Warriors and the Soccer Stars’ calendar becoming one of the very few players to do so in their debut seasons in the top-flight league.

Katema’s departure is likely to trigger coach Tonderai Ndiraya into an intensive search for attackers as his other striker Tawanda Macheke has moved to Black Rhinos.

Unconfirmed reports last night were saying Ndiraya wanted Dembare to re-engage our former striker, Cameroonian striker Christian Epoupa Ntouba, whose rumoured return to the club had seemingly collapsed a few days ago.

It will be interesting who the Executive will bring in as Katema’s replacements, but for now we wish Katema all the best in foreign land.

Katema set to leave Dembare

EVANS Katema’s gods have kept smiling on him after playing just a single season in the local Premiership as he is on the verge of signing for Zambian football giants Zanaco.

The dreadlocked 31-year-old Dynamos striker has been offered a lucrative deal and could put pen to paper if he passes his medicals set for this week.

Dynamos spokesperson Tinashe Farawo confirmed the development yesterday.

“I can confirm that Evans Katema has been invited for medicals by Zanaco FC in Zambia. As soon as he passes those medicals, he will immediately sign for that team,” said Farawo.

“We had made it a point not to sell the player to any local bidders. Virtually all teams in the country wanted him but we made it clear that he was not for sale.

“But, we cannot stand in his way when a club of Zanaco’s magnitude comes knocking on the door requiring his services. It is an opportunity for him to try and further his career in a competitive league.”

Yet, just over a year ago, Katema was playing in the less glamorous Northern Region Division One with Mushowani Stars.

He helped them grab the sole ticket into the top-flight last season where he proved to be a standout player, banging in seven goals in 15 games for the under-funded side which has since been relegated.
He couldn’t stay with the Newman Mashipe charges as Dynamos snapped him up in the mid-season transfer window.

At DeMbare, Katema scored a further five goals to help Dynamos finish in mid-table and he has of late been rumoured to be interested in joining Dynamos’ arch-rivals CAPS United.