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Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor
TEENAGE HADEBE is likely to be the first Euro-based Warrior to return to action when the game resumes in Turkey after being halted by the COVID-19 outbreak three months ago.

All the matches are set to be played behind closed doors.

The 24-year-old defender plays for Yeni Malatyaspor in the Turkish Super Lig, which was one of the last major European leagues to freeze their programme in March this year, under pressure from the International Federation of Professional Footballers.

The break came under a cloud of controversy on March 19, just a few days after former Nigerian skipper, John Obi Mikel, was forced to terminate his contract with league leaders Trabzonspor, when he raised concerns about continuing to play football amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

A few days later, Turkish football authorities announced the suspension of all competitive football in the country.

Hadebe, who played for the Warriors at the last AFCON finals in Egypt, missed his team’s final three matches in March, just before the league was halted, because of suspension.

A red card meant he was ineligible to play in the matches against Kayserispor, Trabzonspor and Konyaspor.

His last match had come on March 1 when he played for 45 minutes in the 0-2 defeat at the hands of Denizlispor.

But, in the event the Turkish Super Lig resumes on June 12, as announced yesterday, the Zimbabwe international defender will be eligible to feature for his team again.

Turkish Football Federation president, Nihat Özdemir, announced yesterday that they had set June 12 as the date for the resumption of competitive football in the country.

He told reporters, following a four-hour meeting with top football officials and executives, that the Turkish Super Lig, and the immediate lower leagues in that country, will resume in June and end the following month on July 26.

The finer details of how the matches will be played, said Ozdemir, will be decided after a meeting between the country’s football leadership and Turkey’s Coronavirus Science Board.

“For now, we decided to start Turkish football leagues, which were previously suspended (due to coronavirus), such as the Super Lig, first, second, third divisions and amateur leagues in the week of June 12, 13 and 14,” Ozdemir said in a video conference.

“Following the joint works of the Health Ministry and scientific board, they will decide how the games will be played.

“God willing, we will complete our own leagues at the end of July. We will hand over our cups on the pitch and then we will cap the season off by hosting the UEFA Champions League final in August.’’

The schedule, according to reports, will feature seven weekend games and one weekday match.

The teams will play their matches in their own cities and stadiums, Ozdemir said, adding no consideration had been given to playing matches in a single city.

In the event the Turkish Super Lig resumes, Hadebe and his teammates have a mountain to climb to try and avoid relegation after a poor run this year.

Yeni Malatyaspor have 25 points, the same as the team which occupies the final relegation slot, Rizespor, and only two points better than Akaragucu, who are second from the bottom of the table.

Kayserispor anchor the table on 22 points.

Hadebe and his team last tasted victory in the Turkish Super Lig on December 12, last year, after a surprise 2-0 away win over Besiktas.

Since then, they have lost 12 and drawn two matches in all competitions.

The losses include 10 out of their last 11 league matches, with the other one having ended in a draw against Konyaspor.

There has been speculation, football could resume in Turkey, after the country’s leading clubs — Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, Besiktas and Trabzonspor, announced they would be resuming training sessions this week.

The developments also follow reports revealing players from Barcelona, Real Madrid and other top clubs in the Spanish La Liga have been arriving for medical tests and to start preparing for the return to training this week. The players will initially train individually as La Liga officials want a training period of about a month before they can restart the league in empty stadiums.

Meanwhile, there are still major complications in England, where Marvelous Nakamba plays, with Aston Villa yesterday joining Brighton and West Ham in opposing the idea of completing the Premiership season at neutral venues.

Club chief executive, Christian Purslow, urged other clubs not to support measures which he claimed increased the risk of the “£200 million catastrophe” which relegation would bring to those fighting to remain in the top-flight league.

“Personally I’m against it,” Purslow said on Talksport. “We’re a club that prides itself on home form. Two-thirds of our wins this season have come at home.

“We’ve got six home games left to play and I think any Villa fan would agree that giving up that advantage is a massive decision for somebody running Aston Villa and I certainly wouldn’t agree to that unless those circumstances are right.

“When you say to any club, “we want you to agree to a bunch of rule changes that may make it more likely that you get relegated,” they’re not thinking about TV money, they’re thinking, “my goodness, am I going to agree to something that results in me being relegated and losing £200 million?”