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When a player is nearing the age of 30, many would consider playing at home or the furthest a player would go can only be a neighboring country. That may soon change as Oscar has been a long-time friend in business. Machapa was a team-mate of our player Bernard Morrison at Vita FC. Bernard himself was a long-time target of Delhi Dynamos in India. It was the same season that Roberto Carlos dared to form a 3 man striking partnership of Bernard, Memo  and Frank Malouda where youth was expected to blend with experience. Unfortunately to the disappointment of the Indian side the player and his club settled for Vita FC before a subsequent move to Orlando Pirates. 

Malaysia is popularly known as a holiday resort for most affluent Zimbabweans, but that may soon change as we have got an all daring call for the diminutive midfielder to try his luck in the South East Asian country. We (Joe Mart Sports and Events)  have a long history of placing players in this region dating back to the time when the now Limerick city FC based Brazilian striker  Rodrigo Tossi was a player at DPMM playing under Steve Kean the ex-Blackburn Rovers Coach. “We are looking at 25 November as the day that we need him to be in the country” said Mr Myo Win the  ex – Ayeyawady FC  Head Coach in Myanmar now heading to a new team in Malaysia.

Joe Mhondiwa has been tasked to arrange his travel arrangements and if that option doesn’t really suit Oscar, then there is already option for him to join Tafadzwa Rusike that we just moved to Zambia. At Zanaco Tafadzwa is just about to be joined by a Ghana International that was voted in Africa best 11 players in April, who have just found the stay in Libya unpalatable.

After four consecutive draws in the Persian Gulf league, Saipa FC Head coach reached out for help. Joe Mart Sports and Events Mgt was conducted through our strong links that also plaid a role in landing the   Cameroon 2002 Africa Cup of Nations  Germany native Winfried Schafer at Esteghlal Tehran early this month.  We lined up to them two choices in Jerome Ebah Tobie and Kwame Nsor. It didn’t come as surprise that Ali Daei a legendary iconic  striker himself  in the Gulf region who hold a record 109 goals in 149 appearances for Iran saw the goal-scoring prowess of the 25 year old Ghana international.

Kwame Nsor has a distinguished carrier that span from FC Metz, Kaiserlaurten, RFC Seraing and Uniao Madeira over a period of 8 years. Most recently he has plaid for Uniao Madeira scoring an impressive 15 goals in 30 matches. He represented Ghana 9 times at U20 level scoring 3 goals. We have been working tirelessly  over the past 3 months to land a suitor for the dangling striker. There was realistic interest from Israel at some stage before the club settled to bring our defender Moses Nyondo  for assessment as priority ahead of attacking options.  Meanwhile our agency relentless effort also brought an offer from Saudi Arabia that fell short of his asking price.  It’s left to see if personal terms can be finalized in the few days to come as Joe has been tasked to arrange the travel procedures for the player.  In this deal Nsor is poised to earn up to quarter of a million per year.  He will be the sole foreign signing in the squad.~TGBTG~

When an influential player is set to leave for greener pastures, the management team start searching for alternatives. Despite a huff and puff all the way to second spot in the league and a cup final in waiting, Zanaco still have a chance to bag a double. So when Orlando Pirates, Wydad Casablanca and Spanish Segunda side Lorca placed offers for the Zanaco attacking midfielder Saith Sakala, his club asked us (Joe Mhondiwa) his agent to find replacement for him.

We  in turn recommended players like Ronald Chitiyo, Tafadzwa Rusike and Donald Teguru of Ngezi Platinum. At the time Ronald Chitiyo was also sort after by Arab teams which left Zanaco heavily trotting behind other options like James Bissue a 2011 Ghana U20 international recently played in US and also Joseph Mpande a Ugandan International. “Tafadzwa Rusike was always an option for us, we asked you to get him for us after you told us Chitiyo is on his way to Tunisia just before we finalize the transfer of your player Saith” said Mr Edward Mutale  on his recent conversation with Joe. It just came with coincidence that Mr Andrew Rusike who also is not only a “Father figure” to both Tafadzwa and Ronald Pfumbidzayi alerted us of the recent developments with the player’s situation at Caps. His influence and advice is being put under scrutiny as Zanaco is seriously coveting the services of this player.

Rusike have had a proven career that span from Caps United, Ajax Cape Town, Dynamos, Progresso and back to Caps again. He has also been overseas in countries like Brazil and Belgium. His biggest success dates back to his days at Ajax. Meanwhile his predecessor finally sealed a move to Al Fateh in Saudi Arabia after their offer surpassed that of Pirates and Lorca. He has since played in every single minute of the seven matches plaid so far. Saith is still being followed by teams in Belgium and Spain. Zanaco have staggered their way up to second spot in Zambia premier league and hopefully can retain their league title if they land Tafadzwa Rusike as replacement for their departed 21 year old talisman.

Just when it looked like the transfer window was drawing nigh without anything realistic  for the young promising defender, it didn’t come as a surprise that clubs would make their last bid to rope in one of this year’s  Korea U20 World cup stars. Moses featured in every game of the Africa Cup of Nations winning squad in March this year.  He went on to play in every game at the World Cup where Zambia bowed out after a drubbing 120 minutes(extra-time) with Italy in quarter finals. His strengths are mainly his aerial prowess, pace and agility at the back.

Even though he was only 19 and one of the youngest in the competition, his calm head playing alongside the captain Solomon Sakala left him with a lot of admirers. Composed passing from the back and frequent bursts into attacking positions is one characteristic that modern day defenders need to display.  As a result most teams left it too late to pledge their interests on his services. However when FUS Rabat and Smouha FC finally made their call, FC Ashdod had already woed the towering defender’s heart. “I want to go to Israel. All those teams in Europe that hesitated to put offer on me will scout me easier from a European platform (Israeli Team) ” said Moses when we put forward the three proposals for him to pick on. The Israeli  club is making travel arrangements for him to fly out by Monday 21st Aug. #TGBTG#

After a tug of war between 3 potential suitors, the Zambian attacking midfielder settled for the oil-rich league. Needless to say, the ambitions to play in Europe are still thriving in the blood of the young rising star. “My dream is to eventually break into established European leagues, so please keep in touch with those teams that put offers before I left Africa” said Saith Sakala when Joe spoke to him on the day he was unveiled as a new signing for Al Fateh FC.

The ambitious side that finished eighth in the league last season did not waste time by thrusting their new signing into fray when they fell down 4-1 at home to  Al Taawon. It happened  to be a battle for the mid-table teams that finished 7th and 8th respectively last season as Saith Sakala was introduced in the 46th minute with the home side trailing by a goal to nil.  It’s left to the 21 year old to prove himself , if he can be instrumental to change the fortunes of this team and woe back the interest of Lockeren, Locha FC  and other European sides that are closely monitoring his progress.

It’s now a come and get me game as the tussle for Saith Sakala signature draws to an end. Pirates remain favorites to land the coveted attacking midfielder cum striker. Benny McCarthy an Orlando Pirates legend is believed to have weighed in to support the roping in of this talented youngster. Wydad Casablanca has a bigger budget with the glamour of a vociferous home crowd (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr39XjX37II)  that sang the scare out of Zanaco on their decisive Champions league group stage, where Zanaco finished with ten men to crash out on goal difference.

On the other side of heme-sphere, Sporting Braga has also been spying on the talented 20 year old. “Ideally I would like to play in Europe. Portuguese league is good, but who doesn’t want to play in Spain ? ” said Saith Sakala when we quizzed him about his preferences. It didn’t take us time to find a suitor in Spain as we have direct access to a number of top Spanish sides. We (Joe Mart Sports and Events Mgt) working closely with Aimsport approached Getafe, Deportivo Coruna, Reus and Lorca . The stylish Zambian woed these clubs appetite and Lorca did not waste time to commit themselves. The next few days leaves his representatives with a toll order to convince Zanaco to shun the megabucks in top African sides in preference to a potential successful career in Europe. #TGBTG#

It doesn’t come as surprise for the in-form striker to be coveted by top sides this window. After  putting up an impressive show home and away against Cameroon champions Cotton Sport. Sakala caught the attention of many suitors by scoring the opener in the first leg where he rose high up to nod in a bullet header. Cotton Sport pulled one back before he provided an assist for Zanaco to grab the winner  mid way through the second half. The return leg away proved to be the last bait to big clubs like Al Ahly and Orlando Pirates. In what looked like a game that was heading for a draw. Saith Sakala capitalized on a counter attack in a typical goal poacher instinct fashion. He raced through the defenders to collect a cross from the left before calmly slotting it past the goalkeeper in the bottom corner well into the first minute of injury time to grab a dramatic away win. That left Zanaco topping the group of death featuring the likes of  record winners Al Ahly and Wydad Casablanca with 3 wins and a draw.

“We’ve been monitoring this player for a while and we are surely interested in him” said Mr Nkosana Khosa , son of the Club Chairman/Owner Irvine Khosa. The latest  addition to Joe Mart Sports and Events Mgt is the hottest property in the continent at the moment. Another World Cup Quarter finalist Moses Nyondo who featured in every game at the just ended U20 World Cup in Korea comes in with an African champions medal. It’s a wait and see situation as an unnamed Dubai based club and a Turkish second tier team is also vying for his services. One thing for certain is that Zanaco are sweating to loose their top-man as the Champions League draw closer to it’s final and decisive semi-final knock-out stages.