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Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor
ZIMBABWE international forward Nyasha Mushekwi has revealed he is learning a lot from his superstar teammates, like 2018 World Cup-bound midfielder Yannick Carrasco, who became the first Belgian to score in the UEFA Champions League just two years ago.

The 30-year-old striker refreshingly concedes that his best days in the game are probably behind him now, but wants to make the best of what is left in his career, which has taken him from the basketball courts to become a professional footballer who has starred in South Africa, Belgium, Sweden and China.

Mushekwi has made history as the first Zimbabwean to play in the revamped multi-million-dollar Chinese Super League, which has attracted some of the world’s biggest football stars who have been lured by the riches provided by football’s El Dorado.

After being snubbed by coach Ma Lin at the beginning of the season despite playing a leading role in helping Dalian Yifang secure promotion into the Chinese Super League, Mushekwi is now back in favour following the arrival of former Real Madrid gaffer Bernd Schuster in March.

Lin, who tried to force Mushekwi out of the club despite pressure from the fans who idolise him for the goals that powered Dalian Yifang into the top-flight league, was fired after just three league matches, which the club lost, and replaced by Schuster.

The German has changed the system and brought Mushekwi back into the starting XI, playing as the lone striker, supported by a trio of midfielders, including Carrasco and Argentina’s Nico Gaitan, who were recruited from Atletico Madrid in February this year.

And the team has been responding to the gaffer’s new system with two wins in their last three league matches in which Mushekwi has scored three goals, including a last-minute winner against Guizhou Zhicheng in their last match on Sunday.

The Zimbabwean forward had also struck the equaliser in the 74th minute after profiting from an assist from Carrasco, one of the 23 players who have been chosen by Belgian coach Roberto Martinez to represent the country at the World Cup in Russia next month.

The 24-year-old Carrasco is in great company in the Belgian midfield that also has Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City, Mousa Dembele of Tottenham Hotspur, Marouane Fellaini of Manchester United, Nacer Chadli of West Bromwich Albion, Adnan Januzaj of Real Sociedad and Axel Witsel of Tianjin Quanjian.

The Belgian side also has stars like forwards Eden Hazard of Chelsea, scorer of his club’s winning goal in the FA Cup final last Saturday, and Romelu Lukaku, who featured as a second half substitute for Manchester United in that game.

Mushekwi is not going to the World Cup, after the Warriors were expelled from the qualifiers without kicking a ball, but the forward is enjoying his partnership with the club’s superstar signings who arrived at the club earlier this year amid a blaze of international news coverage.

Carrasco was reported to have cost Dalian Yifang £26 million (about US$35 million) and will earn about £8,8 million (US$12 million) a year.

Gaitan’s deal was reported to be worth £16 million (about US$21 million)

Carrasco became the first Belgian to score in the UEFA Champions League just two years ago when he struck the equaliser for Atletico Madrid at the San Siro in Milan, Italy after Sergio Ramos had thrust Real Madrid into the lead.

Real Madrid, who face Liverpool in this year’s UEFA Champions League final in Kiev, went on to win the penalty shootout 5-3 that night.

Mushekwi has spoken for the first time about playing with the superstars who were signed by his club this season.

“About playing alongside the big names, it’s been amazing,” he told The Herald yesterday from his base in China.

“You learn and you understand why teams pay so much for these guys because there’s so much quality in those guys.

“It makes you challenge yourself, it makes you want to show everything you have got to be counted up there too?

“Listen, I’m past my prime now but (you have) to challenge yourself with God leading me and finding myself in the situation I’m in right now is an absolute blessing. I can only be grateful.’’

But what has changed now that he is making the first team again and scoring goals?

“I can’t say much has changed, just God gave me the chance to play and He has been leading me every day,’’ he said.

“It’s been okay, I can’t say much, we still in a bad position in the league so there isn’t much to celebrate, you know.

“The coach has put belief in the team, we been playing better than before. The confidence is coming within the guys and hopefully now with the break the team will get more players to strengthen the team.

“We just want to keep fighting and grinding results. God has been too good to me . . . I got no words . . . God has been amazing in my life.’’

He said the last game, when he scored the equaliser and last-minute winner, was difficult and also special.

“The last game was very difficult. In most of our games I feel we lacked that thing of closing out games? Maybe the experience of being in the Super League? I don’t know, hence this game was tough for us, down 1-0 against 10 men,’’ he said.

“They killed time and defended very well. But God blessed us with goals at the right time. It was amazing, the atmosphere was unbelievable. The fans were unbelievable, everything turned out well in the end but it was a hustle.

“The coach was excited, he hugged me when I got to the changing room and we took a team picture with everybody celebrating.

“The only thing I would like to add is WHAT AN AMAZING GOD WE SERVE . . . It was unbelievable and God showed up at the right time, I’m grateful and glory to God above.’’

Dalian Yifang are still in the woods as they are second from bottom of the table and Mushekwi has scored three goals in the five league matches he has played.