Zimpapers Logo

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
GRITTY Warriors midfielder Marvelous Nakamba’s Belgian side Club Brugge recorded their first Uefa Champions League group stage win when they mercilessly outplayed Thiery Henry-coached AS Monaco on Tuesday night.

The Group A encounter, played at the Stade Louis II in France, saw Nakamba’s Brugge score three first half goals through Hans Vanaken who scored a brace, Wesley Moraes and a late goal from Ruud Varmer to record their first Champions League group stage victory since 2003.

Nakamba, who played the entire 90 minutes, now joins the few Zimbabwean players who include Bruce Grobbelaar, Kennedy Nagoli, Norman Mapeza and Costa Nhamoinesu to have played in Europe’s biggest club competition.

Brugge boss, Ivan Leko, emphasised the importance of a historic victory for the club, who remain in with a chance of progressing into the final two group fixtures.

“This is a big success. Not only because of the result – the quality of our football was very good too,” Leko said.

“This is also important, not just the result. Now we are finally getting the rewards [for our good play]. This is historic.”

The win took Clube Brugge to four points and still with a chance of progressing to the knockout stages despite being five points behind the leading sides Athletico Madrid and Borrusia Dortmund.

Nakamba is a key member of the Warriors squad that is on the verge of qualifying for their fourth Total African Nations Cup finals and his rubbing of shoulders with Europe’s top stars will be a sweet development to the national team technical bosses, especially coming a few weeks before the trip to Monrovia where they face Liberia in a crucial Group G Afcon qualifier in which any result other than a defeat will seal the nation’s qualification.