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THE story of Zimbabwean striker Tino Kadewere and Spanish La Liga football club RCD Mallorca did not start in the best possible way. 

The need to strengthen the offensive plot of the team was a clear slogan for the sports management, and they acted according to the demands. 

Kadewere arrived on the island in the last moments of the summer transfer window to form a pair with Vedat Muriqi. Both of them, along with Ángel Rodríguez and Abdón Prats, left the attack well covered for Javier Aguirre.

But in football, as in life, everything doesn’t always go as expected. The Zimbabwean striker was going to make his debut in a call-up for Aguirre against Real Madrid. After a few weeks of adaptation, the Mexican coach already wanted to bet on him. However, some discomfort in one of the last training sessions before traveling to the capital upset all the plans: he suffered a quadriceps injury in his right leg.

At the time, Mallorca and France igue 1 side Olympique Lyon – his parent club – decided to bet on a conservative recovery avoiding going through the operating room. Fulfilling all the phases, Kadewere was able to reappear just before the break for the World Cup in Qatar: he did it in the Copa del Rey against Autol, with a goal included. The set-up was done and Kadewere used the month of December to confirm the good feelings.

Six goals in six games. During these last weeks, Mallorca has done — like the vast majority of teams — a mini pre-season of four games. In addition, we must add two more clashes: the two Copa del Rey qualifiers against Autol and Real Unión. In such games, Kadewere has excelled scoring six goals in six games.

Having now overcome this period of adaptation and 100 percent recovered from his injury, Kadewere faces the return of the Spanish La Liga as a unique opportunity. 

This Friday, Mallorca travels to Getafe to close out the year, and Tino’s debut in the Spanish First Division could come true four months later. Although he has already made his debut as a Vermilion in the Copa del Rey, doing so in the league competition will be very positive news for both the player and the club.

Kadewere is looking to rediscover himself after enduring a frustrating second season at Lyon, where injuries and a crippling loss of form saw him starved of game time for most of last season. 

Apparently, he failed to replicate the form he had when he arrived in France, where he had grabbed the Golden Boot in the French Ligue 2 with 20 goals from 24 outings for Le Herve.

His rise to the topflight of French football was rapid as he was snapped up by Lyon in a lucrative deal that involved US$15 million. It did not take him long to settle in the Lyon set-up as he formed a formidable partnership with then captain Memphis Depay of the Netherlands and Cameroonian Karl Toko-Ekambi.  Kadewere scored 10 goals in 33 outings in his debut season for Lyon during the 2020/21 season of the French topflight league. But then he was dogged by injuries in his second season and at some point underwent corrective surgery to mend troublesome thigh muscles. The arrival of Dutch coach Peter Bosz, who was later sacked by the club for poor results, signalled a downturn of fortunes for Kadewere as he fell down the pecking order at Lyon. Kadewere struggled to assert himself the few chances he was given upon his return from injury, and his confidence took a huge knock. Due to the excessive lack of game time, a loan deal was the only way out for the Zimbabwean and Mallorca opened their doors for him in the La Liga. 

Kadewere is set to become the first Zimbabwean player to play in the Spanish top-flight league. A lot is expected from him after impressing in the Copa del Rey and other friendly games played during the FIFA World Cup break. Kadewere is still contracted to Lyon until 2024, though. — Marca.com/Herald Senior Sports Reporter.