Kadewere eyes Europa League qualification

Sport
ZIMBABWE International striker Tinotenda Kadewere is relishing the prospect of securing his first qualification for Uefa Europa League with Swedish side Djurgårdens IF, who are closing in on their best ever finish in the Allsvenskan since 2007.

ZIMBABWE International striker Tinotenda Kadewere is relishing the prospect of securing his first qualification for Uefa Europa League with Swedish side Djurgårdens IF, who are closing in on their best ever finish in the Allsvenskan since 2007. BY DANIEL NHAKANISO

The 21-year-old former Harare City striker scored only his second goal, in a season he has been restricted to just 10 league appearances due to injuries, during his team’s 5-0 win over GIF Sundsvall early this month to announce his return.

Although Djurgårdens IF went on to lose 2-0 to mid-table side Sirius last Sunday, they look set to make a return to Europe for the first time since 2005.

Djurgårdens sit on third position on 48 points, 12 behind runaway leaders to Malmo FF and three ahead of fourth placed Häcken with just three games remaining in the season.

The winners of Allsvenskan qualify for the Uefa Champions League while the runner-up together with the third placed team in the table qualifies for the Uefa Europa League.

Kadewere told the Swedish club’s official website in an extensive interview ahead of their crucial home match against fourth placed Häcken today that they can take a massive step towards Uefa Europa League qualification with a victory.

“It will be an important match, especially as we return from the disappointing loss against Sirius. Now we have to keep our heads high because this is the decisive stage,” Kadewere said.

“We must do all we can to take three points and the team has been looking good during the training week. Maximum is the main focus in the Häcken match.

“They have to win, but we also have to win. So it will be a tight and interesting match because both teams want to finish in the top three to qualify for Europe. But we have the upper hand and will make sure to keep it that way even after this match.

We will give 110% to take the three points we need,” he said.

The former Prince Edward High School pupil said after coming close to finding the back of the net during last week’s against Sirius, he was hoping to end the season on a high by scoring regularly, starting today against Häcken.

Kadewere is more at home as a central striker but sometimes he is deployed in various attacking positions at his club.

“I came close to scoring goals several times against Sirius but it was apparently not my day, although I think the performance was good for myself and I was involved in much of what was happening. However, as a striker I must have the ambition to always score goals and the goals may now come against Häcken,” he said.

Kadewere, who has risen through the ranks in the national age-group teams, was included in the Warriors’ squad for the 2017 African Cup of Nations in Gabon but did not feature in any of the three group matches as Zimbabwe exited the tournament in the first round.

The skillful lanky forward moved to Sweden last August as a direct replacement for fellow Zimbabwean international striker Nyasha Mushekwi who moved to China. Kadewere immediately made a huge impact at Djurgårdens IF, establishing himself as one of their brightest prospects.