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Steven Gerrard speaks on Marvellous Nakamba future

Published

3 years ago

September 3, 2022

BY ASHLEY PREECE

Steven Gerrard has sat down with Morgan Sanson, Frederic Guilbert and Marvelous Nakamba at Bodymoor Heath given the trio’s frustrations at their lack of opportunities at Aston Villa this season.

All three featured under Gerrard during pre-season but failed to impress.

Guilbert, 27, was quickly told to train with the club’s under-21s while, for Sanson and Nakamba, the arrival of Boubacar Kamara has seen them nudged down the pecking order.

Gerrard gave the trio the green light to secure moves away on deadline day but transfers failed to materialise, with French right-back Guilbert speaking out at the disappointment having failed to move out on loan.

“These last few weeks have been very hard psychologically,” Guilbert said on social media, “a lot of doubts, a lot of disappointments. Apparently that’s the job!”

On keeping those on the fringes motivated given the closure of the summer transfer window, Gerrard said: “First and foremost in football you have to motivate yourself.

“But in terms of the collective I try to motivate the players for every single game.

“But you’ve got to be professional, that’s what you’re paid to be.

“Nothing can change as of now, the window’s shut so there should be a hunger and a will to want to perform and do the best they can.

“They are contracted here to Aston Villa and I’ll certainly get a feel of all those players of where they are at with their thinking, with what they tell me and the feedback I get and we’ll go from there.”

Gerrard added: “There are obviously a few players who I assume would have liked, or had the opportunity to go elsewhere, like Morgan Sanson, or Nakamba for example.

“It is important I have a chat with all these players face-to-face.

“But they are very much human beings with feelings.

“You have to understand everyone’s situation.

“That is the issue the window brings for a lot of managers and a lot of clubs, when it is five or six games into a season.

“This is the reason I think collectively managers would like it to finish before the first game of the season because it can affect how people feel at different times.”

Sanson, Nakamba and Guilbert could, though, still secure moves away in the coming days and weeks given the respective transfer window deadlines in Belgium (September 6), Turkey (September 8), Czech Republic (September 8), Portugal (September 22) and Greece (September 22).

One player who also failed to move on during the UK deadline was Douglas Luiz.

The Brazilian was the subject of three £20million-plus bids from Arsenal on deadline day but Villa stood firm with a new contract now in the offing for the midfielder. – BirminghamLive

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In the community

Hwange police seek public’s help in locating missing teen

Published

1 week 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

1 month 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.

In the community

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

Published

1 month ago

April 16, 2025

VicFallsLive

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.