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Nyasha Mushekwi

Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE international striker Nyasha Mushekwi yesterday touched the heavens when he helped his club Dalian Yifang to seal their place into the Chinese Super League after winning 2-1 at home against Dalian Transcendence. The Blue Hawks, as the Chinese League One team is affectionately known, have been promoted with two games to spare. Mushekwi, a former CAPS United forward who has been steering the team to glory with his goals during this campaign, is set to realise his dream of rubbing shoulders with some of the world’s greatest footballers, including Brazilians Hulk, Oscar and Ramires, who ply their trade in the Chinese Premier League. Crucially for the Warriors forward is that he still has one year on his initial three-year contract with Dalian Yifang.

Dalian Yifang all but secured a place in the Chinese top-flight league two weeks ago when they thrashed Shanghai Shenxin 4-2 away from home to take their points tally to 58 from 27 games in the 16-team second tier league And yesterday, they confirmed their promotion into the Chinese Super League when they took their points tally to 61 from 28 matches to be guaranteed a place in the top-flight league irrespective of the outcome of their remaining two games.

The top two teams are promoted in the Super League but even if second-placed Beijing Renhe, who are on 56 points, win the remaining two games to finish on 62 points and Mushekwi’s side lose the two matches to remain on the 61-point mark, they will still proceed to the big boys club. Third-placed Qingdao Huanghai, on 52 points, can only finish on 58 points should they win their remaining games and they are a threat only to Beijing Renhe who they will eclipse on points if they lose their last two matches.

Dalian Yifang’s next game is on Saturday against Yunnan Lijiang before they finish the season with a home tie against Baoding Yitong on October 28. Mushekwi, who turned 30 in August, has since scored 16 goals during this campaign. He scored 19 goals in his debut season in the second tier football league in China last season. Then, Mushekwi, who moved to Jia league at the beginning of last year, said it wasn’t an easy debut season as he struggled from language to different culture and food in the Asian continent.

Last season was also the first time that he played all the 30 matches in a season which he described as a first for his career which suffered a number of setbacks when he was still contracted to South African Premiership side Mamelodi Sundowns for five years.