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Knowledge Musona

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
WARRIORS’ talisman Knowledge Musona has been ruled out of Zimbabwe’s next match against Senegal in the Total Afcon Group B encounter on Thursday night amid fears that his tournament could be over unless Zimbabwe qualifies for the knockout phase.

Musona, who plays for KV Oostende in the Jupiler League in Belgium, sustained a mild right hamstring strain in the 12th minute of the Warriors’ opening match against Algeria and was pulled out for Matthew Rusike.

In a statement yesterday, Zifa said they will rest him for the Senegalese match and said it would be “very difficult to be specific when he will return to play”.

“Musona sustained a mild right hamstring strain around the beginning of the match yesterday (Sunday). On assessment, we feel there is no muscle tear. It is a grade one strain that we are going to make sure we are going to treat according to standard hamstring strain injury treatment modalities. One of the key things of that treatment is rest and obviously we are not going to rush that the player returns to training or playing. We are therefore working with a target to make sure that Knowledge is back to play the third game of the tournament if he is to get better. We have noticed improvement. Obviously, players like any other person have different times in terms of healing and therefore it will be very difficult to be specific when he will return to play,” read a Zifa statement yesterday.

In the absence of Musona, coach Kalisto Pasuwa might turn to Orlando Pirates hitman Tendai Ndoro or Netherlands-based Marvelous Nakamba, who missed the Group B opener through suspension.

Musona’s replacement Rusike had a below par performance and with the more fluid Senegalese, deploying three hard men in midfield might do the trick for Pasuwa.