WARRIORS captain Knowledge Musona has turned to popular
Nigerian televangelist, Temitope Balogun Joshua, popularly known as TB Joshua,
for prayers after struggling with a recurring knee injury.
A video of the 28-year-old Anderlecht Belgium striker being
prayed for by the charismatic preacher at the Lagos-based Synagogue Church of
All Nations (Scoan) was circulating on social last week.
In the 46-second-long clip which is now on the
video-sharing website YouTube, Musona is captured seated in front of TB Joshua,
who is seen laying his hands on the football player’s knees, his chest and his
head while praying.
The camera also zooms to someone standing behind the player
holding a banner which states that the professional footballer is seeking
deliverance from a knee injury and “career failure”.
The banner also states that the former Kaizer Chiefs and KV
Oostende hitman has been struggling with the knee injury for the past five
years.
After the prayer sessions, TB Joshua tells Musona to stand
up, telling him: “Jesus has set you free.”
Musona stands up and starts jogging, saying: “Thank you
Jesus. I’m free, I’m healed.”
It is not clear when Musona went to Nigeria and efforts to
get a comment from the Zimbabwe captain were fruitless last week.
Musona is the latest in the growing list of professional
footballers who have visited the Nigerian cleric.
Some of the players who have reportedly visited TB Joshua’s
church for prayers include Manchester United youngster Angel Gomes, former
Zambian international Given Singuluma and a host of Nigerian professional
footballers.
Prominent Zimbabweans known to have sought healing from
Scoan include the late former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Vice-President
Kembo Mohadi, former cabinet minister Chris Mushohwe and former Zifa boss
Cuthbert Dube.
Musona, who is affectionately known as the Smiling
Assassin, has struggled to nail down a regular starting place at Anderlecht
since moving from another Belgian side, KV Oostende, last June.
The talented player, however, appears to have received a
lifeline after Anderlecht fired their coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck last month
following a string of poor results.
The striker had been frustrated by lack of game time under
Vanhaezebrouck since joining the club at the start of this season, making just
three league starts and five substitute appearances for Anderlecht while also
scoring one goal.
Reports prior to Vanhaezebrouck’s sacking suggested that
Musona was contemplating returning to former club KV Oostende in the January
transfer window.
Musona was also forced to respond to speculation linking
him with a move back to South African side Kaizer Chiefs as he took to social
media to quash rumours that he could be on his way back to South Africa in the
January transfer window.
Anderlecht’s new technical director Frank Arnesen, however,
appeared to give Musona and other players who struggled under the previous
coach a lifeline.
Speaking at his first press conference after his unveiling
on Thursday, Arnesen, who has previously served as director of football at
English clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, said Musona and others would be
given a chance to prove their worth.
The former Danish international will work closely together
with Anderlecht’s new sporting director Michael Verschueren and Swedish coach
Par Zetterberg before the appointment of a new manager.
“My principle is that everyone must have a chance to show
that we need him. My mission is obviously also to strengthen the team from the
winter transfer window, in consultation with the future coach,” he said.
Arnesen said he would use the team’s upcoming winter training
camp which starts in Spain this week to get to know the players and analyse the
group better before the league resumes on January 18.
“That’s why I’m going to the winter training camp with
Michael Verschueren to Spain, where I will have the time to thoroughly get to
know and analyse the players.
“He will take the necessary time to get to know the
technical staff better and to see what the weaknesses and strengths of the team
are. That is not possible in one day,”Arnesen said.
Musona’s failure to nail down a place at his club was also
becoming a big worry to Warriors coach Sunday Chidzambga, who is hoping to have
his talisman fully fit when the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers resume
in March.
The Warriors face a defining match in their quest for
back-to-back appearances at the Afcon finals when they host Congo-Brazzaville
in March with any result, save for defeat, enough to book them a ticket to the
showcase. Standard
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