The Sunday News
FORMER Highlanders striker Knox Mutizwa says he is loving life at South Africa’s Golden Arrows, where is on loan from Bidvest Wits until the end of the season.
Abafana Bes’thende signed Mutizwa from Gavin Hunt’s side in the January transfer window, with the Zimbabwean striker having failed to play a single match in the first half of the PSL season as competition in the striking role at Wits is fierce. The 23-year-old’s game-time under Arrows coach Clinton Larsen has seen Mutizwa gain some conviction as he has been preferred up front and has rewarded Larsen with three goals in seven league appearances since his switch.
Mutizwa’s enjoyment in the coastal city has been added to by the fact that in the games he has scored, against Bloemfontein Celtic, Maritzburg United and in this past weekend’s win against strugglers Highlands Park, Abafana Bes’thende are yet to lose. “I’m enjoying myself here and we are trying to keep up the pressure,” Mutizwa tells KickOff.com.
“When you switched from a club where you were not playing and you fight and you are now part of the key players, it’s fantastic and it’s nice. The coach is also giving me the vote of confidence to say, ‘go there and I know you can do it, I know you can score’ and that is what I’m doing. But any other things it’ll be up to Wits whether I’ll stay permanently here or I’ll go, I don’t have much of a say in this issue.”
With all his goals coming at Princess Magogo Stadium, the club’s home venue, Mutizwa admits he needs to start finding the back of the net on the road, too.
“It is fantastic that I’ve scored all my goals at Princess Magogo Stadium and I thank my team-mates and my coach for giving me this opportunity,” he adds.
“Having said that, I’m desperate (to score away) but it’ll come.” The recent win over Highlands marked the first time this season that two players from the same country have scored for Arrows in the league, with Mutizwa and compatriot Kudakwashe Mahachi getting the goals for the Durbanites. Regarding Mahachi, he says: “We previously played together in the Under-13s in Zimbabwe, so that is our bond. He’s helping me a lot and I managed to score. But we need to keep on winning games to remain in the top eight.”
Mutizwa will be hoping the goals keep flowing when Arrows visit PSL and African champions Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday in the Nedbank Cup Last-16 at Lucas Moripe Stadium.
—Kickoff.
