FORMER Warriors captain Knowledge Musona’s Saudi Arabia team Al Tai got off to a promising start in the 2022-23 Premier Soccer League campaign with a 2-1 win away to Al Ettifaq at the weekend.

Al Tai battled relegation for the better part of last season only to conjure some great wins at the tail end of the season to help them to safety.

And their first victory of the campaign at the weekend has given grounds for optimism as the Zimbabwean international, who announced retirement from the international game early this year, pushes his team to challenge for honours.

Musona who has spent a season at the club after signing from Belgium side Anderlecht, is one of the key players expected to play a big part in the team’s bid to win some silverware.

He might not have scored at the weekend but he played the entire match, suggesting the 32 year old might still have some plenty of football left in him despite his advanced age.

Congolese international Guy Mbenza opened the account on six minutes as Al Tai raced into the lead before Mohammed AL Qunain doubled the lead after 65 minutes profiting from a pass by Nawaf Al Qamiri.

Mohammed Ali Kuwaykibi scored the consolation for the home team.

Al Tai appear determined to avoid last season’s experience where they flirted with relegation for the better part of the campaign only to survive by the nose at the close of the campaign.

Buoyed by the good start in the campaign, Al Tai, b face off bottom side Al Adahla at home on Friday. Al Adahla, recently promoted into the top-flight league, suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat at home against Al Ittihad.

Musona was capped 51 times by his country since making his bow in a friendly match against South Africa in March 2010.

South African club Kaizer Chiefs scouted him from the Aces Youth Academy in 2009. He went on to make 49 appearances for them before signing for Hoffenheim in Germany.

Nicknamed the ‘Smiling Assassin’, Musona spent a season on loan at Augsburg before joining Oostende in Belgium where he spent three years between 2015 and 2018.

He joined Anderlecht from 2018 to 2021 but his appearances were limited as he was he was twice sent on loan to Lokeren and Eupen before joining Al Tai last year.

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