Sports Correspondent
Zimbabwe international footballers Jordan Zemura and Tawanda Chirewa enjoyed memorable weekends in England after scoring their first goals for Watford and Wolverhampton Wanderers respectively.
The two Warriors players were on target as their clubs registered important victories in the English Championship, with Chirewa scoring a dramatic winner against Burnley while Zemura sealed Watford’s triumph over Charlton Athletic.
Zemura scored his first goal for Watford in a 2-0 victory over Charlton at Vicarage Road on Saturday.
The versatile defender came off the bench in the 66th minute before finding the net in stoppage time, finishing in the 94th minute after fellow substitute Rocco Vata played him through on goal.
The goal capped an impressive contribution from Zemura, who is on loan at Watford from Italian Serie A side Udinese.
The 26-year-old had recently returned to action after an injury that kept him out of Zimbabwe’s international assignments earlier this month.
His return to form will be encouraging for the Warriors as they prepare for their upcoming back-to-back 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Equatorial Guinea next month.
Chirewa, meanwhile, marked a significant milestone in his career by scoring his first senior club goal for Wolves in their 2-1 comeback victory over Burnley.
The forward came on in the 71st minute and needed just 21 seconds to make an immediate impact, converting after Mateus Mané intercepted a pass and set him up with a through ball.
His decisive strike completed Wolves’ comeback and underlined his potential to make a greater contribution to the team.
Zimbabwe midfielder Marshall Munetsi also featured in the victory, playing the full 90 minutes for Wolves.
The performances by Zemura and Chirewa provided a timely boost for Zimbabwean football, with both players demonstrating their ability to influence matches at a crucial stage of the season.
Elsewhere in England’s League One, Andy Rinomhota played 77 minutes for Reading in their 1-0 defeat to Wigan Athletic. The midfielder was also booked during the match.
Fellow Zimbabwean Sean Fusire did not feature for Sheffield Wednesday in their emphatic 5-0 victory over AFC Wimbledon.
In Scotland, forward Tawanda Maswanhise returned to Motherwell’s starting line-up but could not prevent his side from suffering a 3-2 defeat to Kilmarnock.
In Belgium, Bill Antonio played the entire match for KV Mechelen against Eupen, while Warriors duo Marvelous Nakamba and Tinotenda Kadewere also featured for their respective Greek clubs.
However, there was concern over defender Munashe Garananga, who was forced off with an injury just five minutes into Lyngby Boldklub’s match against Brøndby IF in Denmark.
Garananga’s early withdrawal will be monitored as Zimbabwe continues to track the fitness of its foreign-based players ahead of the next international window.
The weekend’s performances offered encouraging news for the Warriors, particularly with Zemura and Chirewa gaining confidence through decisive contributions for their English clubs.
