BY FORTUNE MBELE
WARRIORS defender Teenage Hadebe was on target on Saturday as his side, Yeni Malatyaspor clobbered Rizespor 4-0 to move to safety in the Turkish Super Lig.
The first goal was scored by striker Adem Büyük in the sixth minute and Hadebe headed in the second in the 24th minute.
Ivorian midfielder Moryké Fofana weighed in with the third goal 10 minutes before the final before striker Kubilay Kanatsızkuş finished off Rizespor in optional time.
It was Hadebe’s second goal since he arrived at Malatyaspor in 2019 from South African giants Kaizer Chiefs.
The former Bantu Rovers, Highlanders and Chicken Inn defender could not hide his excitement after the game taking to Twitter to express his joy.
“It can only be God, second goal,” Hadebe said.
He scored his first goal for Yeni Malatyaspor last month in a 1-0 win over Alanyaspor, a victory that lifted his side from the relegation zone.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Hadebe was also named in the Super Lig’s team of the week, a feat he has achieved before.
“You have blessed me more than I deserve! Thank you Lord,” he said.
Last year, Hadebe was selected into the Turkish Super Lig team of the 2019/2020 season.
Malatyaspor was in the relegation zone for the better part of the season, but have since moved to position 13 in the 21-team league.
Malatyaspor were supposed to be relegated from the top league last year, but the Turkish Football Federation ruled out the demotion saying the season had been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Turkish federation promoted three teams and the 2020/2021 season has 21 teams and each of the teams is left with two matches with Beşiktaş looking well set to win the title with 81 points under serious challenge from Fenerbahçe (79 points) and Galatasaray with 78 points.
Meanwhile, Hadebe’s Warriors colleague and friend Marvelous Nakamba watched from the bench as his English Premier League side Aston Villa fell 1-3 to Manchester United at Villa Park on Sunday.
In France, Marshall Munetsi was cautioned in his Stade de Reims’ 1-0 home loss to Monaco on Sunday, while Tino Kadewere’s Olympique Lyonnais crushed Lorient 4-1 at home on Saturday.
- Follow Fortune on Twitter @ FortuneMbele
