Tag: Tafadzwa Rusike

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.