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Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
WARRIORS’ talisman Knowledge Musona is facing a dilemma in his bid to revive his European career with the Zimbabwean international sidelined by an ankle injury that has stalled his chances of securing a new club with everything pointing to another return to South Africa.
Musona reverted to being a TSG Hoffenheim player following the expiry of his loan contract to Kaizer Chiefs at the end of the 2013-14 season.
The talented forward, however, had a premature end to his comeback season at Chiefs after picking up an ankle injury and once Amakhosi lost their leading striker, they seemed to lose their firepower and could not successfully defend the Absa championship title, which they surrendered to Mamelodi Sundowns.

Musona, however, packed his bags at the end of the season indicating that he wanted to have another dance with European football.
But, with most of the European clubs now putting final touches for the 2014-15 season and with Musona’s future not yet secured, the Warriors chief striker faces a dilemma which might see him sidelined in Germany or return to Chiefs.

Repeated efforts to contact Musona, or his Zimbabwean manager Edzai Kasinauyo, were fruitless yesterday, but sources said the young forward has been pegged back by a nagging ankle injury which has also meant he cannot attend trials with any of the prospective European clubs at the moment.

“Knowledge really wants to play in Europe, but the problem he faces is that he is injured at the moment and he has to get fit first before he can go for trials at any of the clubs that may want to have a look at him.

“His case is almost similar to the one which has confronted Nyasha Mushekwi in that as much as Nyasha would want to return to Belgium, he cannot do so until he fully recovers from a knee injury.

“It is always difficult to try and go for trials with a prospective club when coming from Africa and you are not fully fit and the issue of time is what is working against Knowledge now because most of the teams are finalising their pre-season preparations and most coaches are winding up deals on their player acquisitions,’’ the source said.

It has also emerged from sources that although Musona is back at TSG Hoffenheim, the German club are not too keen on holding onto to the Warriors forward who made just 16 appearances on his initial stint there.

Hoffenheim, who also loaned Musona to fellow German side FC Augsburg, are now understood to be looking at either selling him or possibly extending the loan spell to Chiefs.

The Germans, the sources also said have prized Musona at around 1,5 million pounds but with the player still to regain full fitness, it could be a tough call for the 24-year-old striker to immediately secure another European club.

It has also emerged that Chiefs, the club that gave Musona the platform to play the professional game, are keenly following events in Germany and would be happy to have their talisman return for another dance with Super Diski.

But it is the nature of the kind of deal that could bring him back to the Soweto giants, which is still not yet clear.
Kaizer Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung and the Soweto giants’ media and corporate communications manager Vina Maphosa were earlier this week quoted indicating that Amakhosi were weighing their options on Musona.

Contractually, Chiefs have the first option on the services of the “Smiling Assassin” and the club’s football manager Bobby Motaung said he is confident they will secure the services of the Zimbabwean international for the coming season.

“We are hopeful that there will be nothing else that comes in for him and with our first option, we will then be able to agree something at the end of the month.
“We can do a loan or an outright buy. We must still decide about these two options,” Motaung told the Sowetan.

Musona had been hoping for another chance to play in Europe and is currently in Germany.
Hoffenheim are still to decide his future, but increasingly look to have only the option of Chiefs on the table as no other bids have been made for the 24-year-old.

Amakhosi’s deal has been on the table for some time and Motaung is confident they need only wait until the end of the month before they are entitled to secure Musona’s services.

It then remains to be decided whether they buy him back or loan him again.
While his club decides on a deal for him, Musona remains in a dilemma and would have to pray that he also gets back to full fitness and resume his career.

Musona’s story also brings to the fore the hardships that the current generation of Zimbabwean players have encountered in their bid to make a mark in the big European leagues where such legends like Peter Ndlovu played for over a decade.

Many of the current crop of players have found it tough in Europe with many eventually finding comfort in the Super Diski.
Despite Hoffenheim still to make a decision on Musona, the striker remains hugely popular with Kaizer Chiefs fans who have voted him into the Amakhosi starting line-up for the upcoming Carling Black Label Cup derby showdown with Orlando Pirates at the FNB Stadium.

The fans have voted Musona’s countryman Kingston Nkatha on standby should the deal to bring back the “Smiling Assassin’’ do not                                                              materialise.

South African soccer fans vote for the players and substitutes that make the Chiefs and Pirates teams in the Carling Black Label Cup.