Contrasting fortunes for Warriors’ pair in EPL MARVELOUS Nakamba

Tadious Manyepo

Sports Reporter

WARRIORS star Jordan Zemura is expected to play a key role as his English Premier League football side AFC Bournemouth faces a stern test in the top-flight in the next three weeks beginning with this weekend’s away tie to champions Manchester City.

Coach Scott Parker’s Cherries, who opened their campaign with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa last weekend, travel to the Etihad this Saturday knowing the task ahead of them is hefty.

Zemura is a key member of the squad and after a flying start to the season, he has been keeping a low profile, instead putting in the work at training.

Parker has passed on positive comments on the 22-year-old Zimbabwean who, all things being equal, could play a pivotal role as Bournemouth try to navigate through a difficult phase ahead of them.

After their match against Manchester City tomorrow, the Cherries will host Arsenal before they visit UEFA Champions League finalists Liverpool the week after.

“We are taking each game as it comes. We cannot talk of the next three weeks. We will cross the river when we get there. At the moment, we are busy preparing for the match against Manchester City,” said Zemura.

“We know how big the match is. We need to focus more on the finer details. The small margins matter in a game of this magnitude and we just have to focus. So basically, we have to take each game as they come. We are ready, as usual.

“The task is huge and we should also be equal. After the match against Man City, then we will start to focus on the next assignment…”

Zemura’s deal with the Cherries is expiring at the end of the current term but the team is determined to tie him down on a lengthy contract.

The club has since opened negotiations with the Warriors utility player who could see a huge change in terms of renumeration when he seals a new deal.

Zemura’s current salary was negotiated when he signed for the club as a reserve before he made an early break into the senior side in the English Championship last year.

Zemura scored three goals in 33 games to help Parker’s team earn promotion into the English Premier League and Bournemouth are keen to retain his services despite some interest from other teams, including West Ham.

Parker revealed last week Zemura’s new contract is being negotiated and the Zimbabwean is fully aware of the developments while he is keeping his eyes on the ball.

While the grass is looking increasingly greener for Zemura, the pastures could be drying for fellow Warrior, Marvelous Nakamba.

The Aston Villa midfielder was last weekend expected to feature in what could have been a historic showdown against Zemura but he failed to make it into Steve Gerrard’s match-day squad against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

Nakamba, who missed a huge chunk of the last third of the last season through injury, should put on the fight to break back into the Clarets and Blue line-up.

Nakamba missed two pre-season matches against Manchester United and Brisbane Roar in Australia as Gerrard preferred new recruit Boubacar Kamara for the defensive midfield role.

Villa are at home to Everton in a lunch-time kick-off tomorrow with Nakamba again expected to be on the sidelines.

And he could as well be on his way out of the Birmingham team with Gerrard yesterday revealing to BirminghamLive he was looking for a midfielder before the window closes at the end of this month while he also confirmed the team is open to offers for Nakamba.  

According to BirminghamLive, the bulk of Villa’s transfer focus is on shipping out those who need game-time.

“I have spoken face-to-face with those players so they all know where they stand,” Gerrard told BirminghamLive.

The site revealed that ‘’Aston Villa are relaxed about Marvelous Nakamba and would listen to offers should those be forthcoming.”

Villa are still taking with Douglas Luiz over a new contract while Nakamba, if offers come, could be sold.

Several clubs, including some from France and in the English Championships, are understood to be interested in signing the Warriors midfielder.

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