BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
WARRIORS captain Knowledge Musona is facing an uncertain future after Belgian Pro League club KAS Eupen’s announcement that they will not be extending his loan deal due to financial problems at the club.
The 31-year-old Zimbabwe international is back at his parent club, Anderlecht, after enjoying two successful loan stints at KAS Eupen.
There were hopes that Musona would return to Eupen, on a permanent deal, after he transformed himself into one of the club’s key players, last season.
KAS Eupen general director Christoph Henkel cast doubt on Musona’s return after revealing that they would not be renewing deals for players, who were on loan and other players that will be out of contract ahead of the new season.
“We will certainly also have to expect departures for economic reasons. The players, who were here on loan and at the end of the contract will leave,” revealed Henkel in an interview with the Belgian newspaper La Meuse.
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“They were told that they did not need to show up when training resumed, when they will only have two weeks of contracts left …”
KAS Eupen recently parted ways with head coach Benat San Jose, who had turned the Warriors skipper into one of the most influential players at the club, giving him a deeper role in midfield, where he was beginning to rediscover his form.
Hankel added that the club was bracing for tough times ahead due to a 20% reduction of their budget by their Qatari-based partners Aspire Academy.
The situation at Eupen will come as a major blow to Musona, who recently expressed his desire to continue at the Pandas beyond his loan deal.
Musona, who now has a year remaining on his contract with Anderlecht, will return to his parent club along with at least another dozen players that had been out on loan this past season.
However, with the Belgian giants unlikely to retain him as they work towards lifting their finances from the red, it leaves Musona’s European football career uncertain.
The Belgian football website voetbal24 revealed on Friday that Anderlecht would look to ship several players including Musona.
“Anderlecht finally want to say goodbye to its superfluous players. Sporting director Peter Verbeke will soon have to find a solution for the Zakaria Bakkalis, Aristote Nkakas and Knowledge Musonas of this world. It will not be easy to wear them out, but it has to be done, voetbal24 wrote.
“All those players have no future at Anderlecht. They were told that they should look for another employer. The Purple & White will also actively look for solutions. In total, at least fourteen players must leave Anderlecht in the coming transfer period,” the website added.
Despite being deemed surplus to requirements by the Anderlecht manager Vincent Kompany, Musona remains one of the highest paid players at the Brussels club, earning over US$1 million annually.
The former Hoffeinheim and Kaizer Chiefs forward, who reportedly earns around 80 000 euro per month (US$87 670, 65), is contracted to Anderlecht until July 2022.