Fungai Muderere
DESPITE the French language barrier challenge and being subjected to the simmering heat of Guinea, Warriors midfielder Tafadzwa Kutinyu seem to have struck the right chord at his new club Horoya Athletic Club.
The lanky and creative midfielder joined Guinea giants Horoya on a two-year contract in May while he was in the treatment room and the ex-Chicken Inn and Bantu Rovers ace admits that it was never easy to settle down at his new base
“It’s not easy for me to settle down. I’m still struggling to understand and speak in French and above all Guinea is a very hot country. It’s not easy to play in a foreign land and I’m naturally forced to be always on top of my game. For now I’m just happy I’m back after a knee injury setback that kept me on the sidelines for three months,” said Kutinyu in interview from Conakry, Guinea.
He joined Horoya from Tanzanian side Azam and the 25-year-old picked up the career-threatening knock a few days before the 2019 Afcon opener in which the Warriors took on hosts Egypt.
He was reportedly expected to start in that much-anticipated opening match that the then Sunday Chidzambwa mentored Warriors lost 1-0 before a packed Cairo International Stadium.
On getting game time at Horoya, Kutinyu said: “So far I have played four games in Caf Champions League and Caf Confederations Cup. My first game was when we played JS Kabile of Algeria in Caf Champions League.
“We beat them through a penalty lottery and I converted one of the spot kicks. I have also helped my club advance to the group stages of Caf Confederations Cup after beat Kenya’s Bandari FC,” said Kutinyu, who also had a brief stint at Tanzania’s Singada United together with former Dynamos defender Elisha Muroiwa.
In the first leg of the game against Bandari, Horoya prevailed 4-2 before they finished off their opponents.
Horoya is one of the clubs whose profile on the continent continues to rise following two impressive CafF Champions League campaigns where they finished as semi-finalists and in the last eight, respectively.
In their previous campaign, they were in the same group with current Zimbabwe Champions, FC Platinum, whom they beat home and away.
