CYCLONE TINO CRUSHING EVERYTHING IN ITS PATH Tino Kadewere

Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
CYCLONE TINO is now unleashing all its fury on the Swedish Allsvenskan with a highly-rated Zimbabwean international forward tearing defences apart and scoring for fun, including a four-goal harvest in his last match on Sunday night.

Tino Kadewere — the 22-year-old Warriors striker — became the first Zimbabwean to score four goals in a league match in Europe’s top-flight leagues, with a one-man demolition job of IK Sirius.

Kadewere, who has already been picked by Zimbabwean football legend Moses Chunga as a special talent that could really explode into the real deal, is being stalked by a number of high-profile clubs in Europe.

And the former Harare City marksman boosted his profile on Sunday with a four-goal harvest as he led his club Djurgardens IF to a comprehensive 5-1 win over IK Sirius on Sunday.

He has now soared to the top of goal-scoring charts in Sweden after scoring eight goals in 12 appearances for his club and he is one goal clear of the chasing pack.

Pa Amat Dibba, a Gambian international forward who plays for leaders Hammarby, and Brazilian striker Paulino of Hacken are in second place with seven goals each.

Kadewere now averages 0.67 goals per game and he has scored six goals in his last four league matches which Djurgardens IF have won on the trot.

Three years ago, another Zimbabwe international forward, Nyasha Mushekwi, made a huge impression at Djurgardens IF after finishing the season as the club’s top marksman.

He was also the fifth leading scorer in the Allsvenskan that season.

Now, the stage belongs to Kadewere who was first thrown into the Djurgardens Under-21 developmental side, after arriving from Harare City, where he earned rave reviews.

Fresh from lifting the Swedish Cup, and earning a place in next season’s UEFA Europa League, Kadewere has been unstoppable.

And he showed his goal-scoring brilliance with the four goals he scored in the massacre of IK Sirius on Sunday.

Kadewere even charmed the club’s sporting director, Bo “Bosse” Magnus Anderson, he ended up kissing the striker’s boot after the match in the dressing room.

Anderson told the Swedish media after the match he was so proud Kadewere had scored four goals in that match and he will kiss the boot of any of his players who can match such a feat.

Kadewere, who is expected to join his national teammates in COSAFA Cup today, told the media after the match that he was simply being rewarded for the extra shifts he has been putting in trying to refine his game.

He also spoke about the moment when Anderson kissed his boot.

“It was joy I will never forget in my entire life. It was absolutely amazing,’’ said Kadewere.

‘’I don’t know how I did it. It was completely unexpected but I have been working hard lately and sometimes it is hard work.

“Bosse has always been there for me and said I am talented from day one. Now he has been repaid because he believed me.’’

Kadewere said reports linking him with a move away from the club were premature.

‘’It’s just rumours. If something pops up then we will take it from there. I am still here playing to the best of my ability. I leave the rest to God,” said Kadewere.

After helping the club lift the Svenka Cup barely two weeks ago with four goals in seven appearances, the Highfield-born star was involved in another tidy transaction on the pitch in the club’s last match before they break for World Cup.

The league will resume in July.

The tall striker is expected to join fellow countrymen in camp today for the COSAFA Cup ahead of the team’s departure for South Africa on Thursday.

Kadewere got his first goal in the 22nd minute, inspired the second one which was converted by midfielder Jonathan Ring in the 77th minute.

The Zimbabwean forward, playing in front of a crowd of 6 000 people in the fourth largest Swedish city Uppsala, reserved the best for the last, when he scored three late goals in the last eight minutes of the away match.

The former Harare City forward grabbed his second of the day in the 86th minute.

He struck again in the 90th minute and completed the rout in the third minute of time added on.

The hosts IK Sirius had pulled one back in the 89th minute through a penalty which was converted by Nigerian forward Moses Ogbu.

Djurgardens are now in fourth place with 20 points, six points behind pacesetters Hammarby, after playing 12 games.

Kadewere has previously told The Herald that his biggest advantage at Djurgårdens IF was that Mushekwi gave a good account of himself there when he turned out for the club.

“Nyasha had put Zimbabwe on the map and my welcome from everyone at the club was just great,’’ he said.

“He was very helpful, he would always guide me and taught me a lot. He is a good guy, in fact I would say he set up everything for me because when I arrived he had done all the work for me.

‘’I arrived with everyone expecting another Zimbabwean striker and the welcome was just rousing.

“He is strong, can score and can run.’’

Kadewere comes from a family that was blessed with football talent.

‘’His brothers were even better, when it comes to raw talent, than Tino because they could do anything with the ball at their feet,’’ Gladman ‘’Dallas’’ Sekawawana, who grew up in the same Highfield neighbourhood, told The Herald.

‘’But, somehow, they were unlucky in that they suffered career-ending injuries before they could make their mark as professionals.

‘’Tino is the one who escaped that injury curse and I’m not surprised he is going places right now because the family has a rich football history.’’

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