Zimbabwean footballers plying their trade abroad were in action over the weekend, with mixed results across various leagues as the 2025/26 season got underway.
Marvelous Nakamba missed Luton Town’s League One season opener against AFC Wimbledon on Friday.
Nakamba has been training alone and did not feature in any of Luton’s pre-season friendlies. The Zimbabwe national team captain has been linked with a move away from Luton following their relegation from the English Championship.
On Saturday, Plymouth Argyle defender Brendan Galloway started in the 3-1 loss to Barnsley and played for 73 minutes.
Isaac Mabaya made his Wigan Athletic debut after coming on as a second-half substitute in their 3-1 win over Northampton Town. Mabaya, who joined Wigan on loan from Liverpool last week, came on in the 70th minute, playing as a right-back.
Also in League One, Tendayi Darikwa captained Lincoln City for the first time in a competitive game, featuring in their 2-0 win against Reading. The 33-year-old defender started at right-back and played the full 90 minutes.
Midfielder Tivonge Rushesha was not in Reading’s matchday squad for the game.
Elsewhere in the UK, Tawanda Maswanhise featured for Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership season opener against Rangers. The promising forward, who has impressed in the Scottish League Cup, played as a winger for the entire match as they secured a 1-1 draw but found chances hard to come by.
In the US, Teenage Hadebe returned to the starting lineup for FC Cincinnati in their 2-2 draw against Juarez in the Leagues Cup. Hadebe played the entire match as a left-sided centre-back in a 3-4-3 formation.
KV Mechelen winger Bill Antonio was on the bench in their Belgian Pro League match against Club Brugge, and Denmark-based defender Munashe Garan’anga was an unused substitute as his FC Copenhagen side continued their perfect start to the Superliga campaign with a 2-0 win over FC Fredericia.
Down in South Africa, the 2025/26 season kicked off with the MTN8 competition. Mamelodi Sundowns defender Divine Lunga was an unused substitute in their 4-0 win over Richards Bay.
AmaZulu’s new signing Thando Ngwenya was not named in the matchday squad that lost 3-2 to Stellenbosch in the same competition.
Meanwhile, pre-season preparations continued for Wolves pair Marshall Munetsi and Tawanda Chirewa, who featured in a 2-1 loss to Girona on Sunday.
Soccer24