Connect with us

Slider

Nakamba the catalyst for Aston Villa’s stunning victory

Published

on

BY PATRICK ROWE

BIRMINGHAM- The substitution of John McGinn for Marvelous Nakamba raised some eyebrows in Saturday’s game against Everton –it would prove to be an inspired decision.

Advertisement

Marvelous Nakamba was substituted on in the 40 th minute due to John McGinn suffering from dizziness after he took a blow to the head.

McGinn is quite the attacking threat in this side and the decision to bring on a very defensive minded player like Nakamba caused some unrest in the crowd at the time.

Emiliano Buendia is capable of playing in centre midfield and offers a lot both going forward and defensively, so fans were perplexed when they saw Nakamba stripped off and ready to come on.

Advertisement

He replaced Douglas Luiz in the holding midfielder role, and this then allowed the Brazilian to operate in the areas McGinn was previously roaming.

It was this change that ultimately proved to be the deciding factor in this tough fixture against Everton.

Nakamba possesses an innate ability to disrupt the opposition and it was no different in this game.

Advertisement

He consistently broke the play up and halted any Everton player that came his way.

His defensive ability is never in question, what fans do have doubts about is his ability on the ball. In this game however, he seemingly put this issue to bed.

He had a pass completion rate of 95.2% after completing 20 passes.

Advertisement

He looked confident and assured and his passing was crisp and direct to his teammates. Fans are often on edge when he has the ball but in this game he looked like a completely different player to the one that had struggled previously.

It was a welcome sight.

These passes weren’t just lateral or backwards either, he completed five passes to the final third which was the second highest number within the team, behind only Tyrone Mings.

Advertisement

He did an excellent job of not providing his teammates with possession, but also progressing the team forward.

His role in pre-season hinted that Dean Smith would be asking more of him in this aspect.

It was trialled against Watford in the opening game and although his attempt was valiant, the overall performance of the side meant any outlook fans had on his performance was most likely dampened.

Advertisement

As he acted as the anchor in midfield, it allowed Luiz to get forward with freedom he previously hasn’t had.

He set up Matty Cash for the opening goal and was influential throughout.

This wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for the role that Nakamba played.

Advertisement

There are of course still issues with Nakamba’s play.

Only two of the 20 passes he completed were with his right foot.

He is heavily left footed, and this lack of balance means the extra time he takes to shift the ball to his preferred foot either increases the likelihood he is dispossessed, or the momentum of the team is stunted.

Advertisement

The Villa midfield also dominated throughout, and it isn’t these games that Nakamba’s ability is questioned.

It is the game’s where the opposition are pressing intensively and forcing errors where issues may arise for the Zimbabwe international.

As he acted as the anchor in midfield, it allowed Luiz to get forward with freedom he previous hasn’t had.

Advertisement

He set up Matty Cash for the opening goal and was influential throughout.

This wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for the role that Nakamba played.

There are of course still issues with Nakamba’s play.

Advertisement

Only two of the 20 passes he completed were with his right foot.

He is heavily left footed, and this lack of balance means the extra time he takes to shift the ball to his preferred foot either increases the likelihood he is dispossessed, or the momentum of the team is stunted.

The Villa midfield also dominated throughout, and it isn’t these games that Nakamba’s ability is questioned.

Advertisement

It is the game’s where the opposition are pressing intensively and forcing errors where issues may arise for the Zimbabwe international.

Regardless of these slight issues, it was an outstanding performance from Nakamba, and he was integral in this performance.

He will most likely see minutes in the League Cup fixture against Chelsea on Wednesday so this performance will hopefully give him a well-deserved confidence boost ahead of this. – Birmingham Mail

Advertisement

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

In the community

Human-wildlife conflict claims 18 lives in Zimbabwe’s first quarter

Published

on

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has reported a disturbing trend of human-wildlife conflict in the country’s first quarter of 2025. According to the authority, 18 people have lost their lives, and 32 others have been injured in encounters with wildlife.

ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo revealed that the authority received 579 cases of human-wildlife conflict, which they managed to respond to promptly. The incidents have also resulted in significant livestock losses, with at least 53 cattle and 85 goats killed by wildlife.

The districts most affected by these incidents include Binga, Hwange, Kariba, Chiredzi, Hurungwe, Nyaminyami, and Mbire. ZimParks has been working tirelessly to raise awareness about wildlife behaviors and effective preventive measures in these areas.

In response to the crisis, ZimParks has translocated 129 animals back into protected areas and eliminated 158 animals deemed problematic.

“We encourage communities to continue reporting incidents to ZimParks Problem Animal Control numbers and local leadership, such as Councillors, Traditional Leaders, and Rural District Council Authorities, to ensure that we preserve lives,” Farawo urged.

The significant increase in livestock losses, with cattle deaths rising from 18 to 53 and goat deaths from 21 to 85 compared to the same period in 2024, highlights the growing challenge of human-wildlife conflict in Zimbabwe.

ZimParks’ efforts to mitigate the conflict include community initiatives to educate people on managing wildlife encounters effectively.

 

Continue Reading

Slider

Tens of Thousands in Zimbabwe Go Hungry as the Rains — and US Aid — Hold Back

Published

on

Tanayeishe Musau eats baobab porridge after school at his home in Mudzi, Zimbabwe, where the dish has become a daily staple amid worsening drought and hunger. Once a simple supplement, baobab porridge is now a primary meal for families like his, following widespread food shortages and the suspension of international aid.

BY LINDA MUJURU

This story was originally published by Global Press Journal.

Agnes Tauzeni stands on her parched field. She is a mother to two children, and is expecting another. But now, in a time that might otherwise have been joyful, her hopes wither like the struggling crops before her.

 

Three times she’s gambled on the rains; three times the sky has betrayed her. Her first two plantings failed. The soil was too dry to sustain life. Though her third attempt yielded a few weak shoots, they offered little promise of a meaningful harvest. El Niño-driven droughts have disrupted once-reliable rains, leaving Tauzeni’s family and many like hers struggling to feed themselves.

 

“I am always hungry,” Tauzeni says.

 

She worries about the health of her unborn child, based on how little nutrition she consumes herself.

 

Adding to this, food aid, previously funded by the US Agency for International Development, halted suddenly in January. That transformed what was already a struggle into a desperate battle for survival.

 

The food aid ended when US President Donald Trump, on his first day in office, issued an executive order that paused nearly all US foreign aid, most of which was administered by USAID. That agency is now all but defunct.

 

Food aid in Zimbabwe was an ongoing area of funding for USAID. In November 2024, the agency announced $130 million for two seven-year programs, implemented by CARE and Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture, that would provide food aid and other related support to areas of Zimbabwe most in need. The programs, which stopped, were just part of an ongoing slate of activities designed to help Zimbabwe’s neediest people.

 

About 7.6 million people in Zimbabwe — nearly half the country’s population — need humanitarian assistance, according to a 2025 UNICEF report. Of those, nearly 6 million, like Tauzeni, rely on subsistence farming.

 

Through the support of organizations with funding from USAID, people previously received cereals, edible seeds, oil and food vouchers.

 

“A sudden withdrawal can put the entire community in a dire situation,” says Hilton Mbozi, a seed systems and climate change expert.

 

Tauzeni recalls that her community used to receive food supplies such as beans, cooking oil and peanut butter to help combat malnutrition.

 

When Tauzeni got married in 2017, her fields promised abundance. Her harvests were plentiful, and her family never lacked food. Now, those memories feel like whispers from another world. The past two agricultural seasons, those harvests have been devastatingly poor.

 

With an empty granary and dwindling options, Tauzeni’s family survives on the same food every day: baobab porridge in the morning and sadza with wild okra in the evening. But Tauzeniworries whether even this will be on the table in the coming months.

 

“The little maize I have, I got after weeding someone else’s crops, but that won’t take us far,” she says.

 

Tauzeni says a 20-kilogram (44-pound) bag of maize costs US$13 in her village, an amount out of reach for her. Her only source of income is farming. When that fails, she has no money at all.

 

Hunger like Tauzeni experiences is widespread. Some families now eat just once a day.

 

Headman David Musau, leader of Musau village where Tauzenilives, says some people in his village did not plant any seeds this season, fearing losses due to the low rainfall. The government provides food aid inconsistently, usually 7 kilograms (15 pounds) of wheat per person for three months.

 

“It’s not enough, but it helps,” he says.

 

But without any other food aid, survival is at stake, he says. “People will die in the near future.”

 

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2022 VicFallsLive. All rights reserved, powered by Advantage