FORMER Warriors striker Nyasha Mushekwi scored his 15th goal of the season for Chinese Super League side Zhejiang Professional FC in their 6–1 thumping of bottom side Hebei yesterday.
Mushekwi was also on target in a 2-1 win over Shanghai Port on Tuesday last week and the latest goal puts him on five goals in as many matches.
The 35-year-old former CAPS United forward opened the scoring for Zhejiang Professional FC in the 21st minute before the hosts equalised through Gao Huaze, but Ulrich Ewolo from Cameroon added a second in first half stoppage time to give the visitors a narrow lead at the break.
However, the Zimbabwean was withdrawn for Croatian midfielder Franko Andrijasevic at halftime as Zhejiang Professional turned on the power for a win.
Mushekwi, who has scored 15 goals in 25 appearances, is now the fifth on the goal-scoring charts in the Chinese Super League, eight behind top scorer, Brazilian Marcao who plays for log leaders Wuhan Three Towns.
Marcao scored twice for the Three Lions yesterday in their 4–0 victory over Shenzhen away from home to extend his lead on top of the standings.
Another Brazilian Crysan who turns out for Shandong Taishan is the second top scorer with 20 goals so far while Beijing Guoan’s Zhang Yuning has 17 goals and Marcao’s compatriot and teammate Davidson is fourth with 16 goals.
It has been a brilliant season for Mushekwi, who is Zhejiang Professional F.C.’s top scorer, after he found the net 23 times in 32 matches in the lower league to help the team gain promotion into the top-flight league last season.
Mushekwi’s goals have lifted the club to third place in the Super League with 49 points from 27 matches, but are a whopping 16 points behind joint leaders Wuhan Three Towns and Shandong Taishan who have 65 points, seven matches before the season ends.
Andrijasevic has also had a good season for Zhejiang Professional having scored 12 goals so far.
The former Caps United forward is continuing with his form from last season when he finished the 2021 Chinese League One season as the top goal-scorer.
The veteran forward netted 24 goals to become the second Zimbabwean to win the coveted Chinese League One Golden Boot award after another ex-Warriors forward Gilbert Mushangazhike, who finished top of the scoring charts in the same league in 2007 during his time at Jiangsu Shuntien.
Mushekwi’s season tally of 24 goals which included three penalties ensured he finished four goals clear of the Nigerian duo of Meizhou Hakka’s Chisom Egbuchulam and Kingsley Onuegbu of Shaanxi Chang’an Athletic who finished joint second on 20 goals each.
His goals ensured that his team earned promotion back into the Chinese Super League.