Slider

Aston Villa feels injured Marvelous Nakamba’s absence

Published

3 years ago

February 12, 2022

BY PATRICK ROWE

When Steven Gerrard was appointed as Aston Villa boss many fans and pundits anticipated a positive impact on the midfielders already at the club.

None of which felt the benefit of having Gerrard’s expertise in charge more than Marvelous Nakamba.

Nakamba started every single game for Villa until suffering a severe knee injury in the fixture against Liverpool at Anfield, and in his absence Villa have looked increasingly more vulnerable defensively.

Speaking on the impact of Nakamba in the early stages of his tenure, Gerrard stated this: “We knew he was a good player, but we’re really pleased with how he’s gone about it in the past couple of weeks.”

Nakamba was a key component in the opening games of the Gerrard era and his impact was felt right from the start.

In the first two games against Brighton and Crystal Palace Nakamba recorded seven tackles, two blocks, two interceptions and a 92% pass accuracy.

In these two fixtures, Villa limited their opponents to seven shots per game, a 0.65 expected goals (xG) value and 12 shot creating actions.

However, in the last five games opponents have averaged just under 17 shots, 1.2 xG and 21 shot creating actions.

The absence of Marvelous Nakamba has been felt dramatically as Villa look easier to pick apart and create against.

Douglas Luiz has attempted to fill the void the Zimbabwean has left, but sadly does not offer the same defensive cover when operating as the holding midfielder.

Villa have shown their resilience at times, as outlined in their second half defensive performance in the 1-0 win against Everton prior to the winter break.

However, given the volume of shots and chances they are now allowing, performances similar to the Leeds United one seem inevitable at times. – Birmingham Mail

Related Topics:Aston Villa Marvelous Nakamba Steven Gerrard

Up Next

Gukurundi victims searching for closure four decades later

Don't Miss

Cryptocurrency scammers target desperate Zimbabweans

Click to comment

Slider

Zimparks launches elephant culling program

Published

4 weeks ago

June 3, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

In a bid to address the growing elephant population in Save Valley Conservancy, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has issued permits for a controlled elephant management exercise.

The exercise, slated to commence shortly, aims to cull an initial 50 elephants from the conservancy, which is currently home to 2,550 elephants – more than three times the ecological carrying capacity of 800 elephants.

According to ZimParks, the conservancy has been struggling to cope with the swelling elephant population, which has put a strain on the wildlife habitat and resources. Over the past five years, the conservancy has translocated 200 elephants to other areas, including Hurungwe and Sapi, in an effort to manage the population.

Zimparks says the controlled culling exercise is expected to provide relief to the conservancy’s ecosystem, while also benefiting local communities.

Elephant meat from the exercise will be distributed to local communities while the ivory will be kept by the State.

In a statement, ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo emphasized the authority’s commitment to responsible and sustainable wildlife management.

“We remain committed to ensuring that our wildlife resources are managed in a responsible and sustainable manner, for the benefit of present and future generations.”

In the community

Hwange police seek public’s help in locating missing teen

Published

2 months ago

May 15, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

The Hwange police are urgently seeking the public’s assistance in locating 16-year-old Latoya Lisa Munkuli, who went missing on May 7, this month.

Latoya, a dark-complexioned female juvenile, was last seen leaving her residence in Hwange around 4 pm.

She was wearing a distinctive outfit consisting of green trousers and a white T-shirt, and carried a black satchel. She stands approximately 1.6 meters tall.

Inspector Glory Banda of the Hwange police is leading the investigation and urges anyone with information about Latoya’s whereabouts to come forward.

If you have any information about Latoya’s disappearance, please contact Inspector Banda on 0785961747 or 0771256607.

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

3 months ago

April 16, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

A National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) locomotive suffered significant damage after catching fire while transporting export coal to Zambi. The incident occurred between Kalala and Matetsi sidings, resulting in the explosion of the locomotive’s fuel tanks.

According to the NRZ press statement on Monday, “A National Railways of Zimbabwe locomotive suffered some damages after it caught fire this afternoon while transporting export coal to Zambia.” Fortunately, the crew members on board managed to escape unharmed.

The NRZ responded swiftly to the incident, dispatching a rescue train with crews to the site. The team successfully extinguished the fire, preventing further damage. However, the locomotive itself sustained considerable damage.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, with investigations currently underway. “Investigations are already underway to establish the cause of the fire and the amount of damage to the locomotive,” the NRZ statement read.