Marvelous Nakamba finally made his long-awaited first appearance of the season as Luton Town secured a 1-0 win over Doncaster Rovers in a League One clash at Kenilworth Road on Saturday.
The Zimbabwean midfielder had missed pre-season and the opening weeks of the campaign amid speculation over a potential move away from the club. With the transfer window now closed, Nakamba has shifted his focus to regaining full fitness.
He had a brief run-out earlier this month when he featured for the Zimbabwe Warriors in their 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, his first competitive action in more than four months. On Saturday, the 30-year-old came off the bench in the second half, playing the final 16 minutes to mark his club return.
Nakamba is expected to be gradually reintegrated into Luton’s squad in the coming weeks, while also remaining central to Zimbabwe’s World Cup Qualifiers against South Africa and Lesotho early next month.
Match Report
Luton eased some of the pressure on manager Matt Bloomfield with a hard-fought victory. The breakthrough came in the 40th minute when George Saville’s free-kick was expertly glanced into the net by Kal Naismith.
Earlier, Doncaster goalkeeper Ian Lawlor twice denied Lamine Fanne, while Millenic Alli fired wide from distance. Luton had a golden chance to extend their lead on the stroke of half-time when Jamie Sterry fouled Wells in the box, but Lawlor produced a superb save from the penalty spot.
Doncaster pushed for an equaliser after the interval, with Luke Molyneux flashing a dangerous ball across goal and substitute Toyosi Olusanya failing to control when clean through. In the closing stages, Town keeper Josh Keeley preserved the lead, first claiming from Olusanya before denying Molyneux again deep into stoppage time.
The narrow win lifts the Hatters’ spirits, while for Nakamba, it marked the start of an important journey back to full rhythm for both club and country.