Kadewere still hurt by Dynamos rejection ahead of PSG, Juventus showdowns

Olympique Lyon forward Tinotenda Kadewere says he is “not surprised” by what he has achieved so far in his career after being considered not good enough by Zimbabwean giants Dynamos in 2015.

Kadewere briefly played professional football in the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League as a bit-part player for Harare City, just after he was snubbed by Dynamos, who were then under the tutelage of former Zimbabwe national team coach Kallisto Pasuwa.

But after being deemed as surplus to requirement by the 1998 Caf Champions League finalists, he went on to sign for Swedish side Djurgardens IF that very same year.

“I was very sad because they [Dynamos] were my dream team in Zimbabwe but, then, I did not give up,’’ Kadewere told The Herald.

“I kept on working hard and praying to God for the best. My brother Prosper kept telling me to keep a cool head and continue working hard. My [late] father and my brothers inspired me the most.

“Growing up, I used to tell myself that I want to be better than them, people used to tell me my brother Prince was a star so I had to surpass that.

“I am not surprised [by what he has achieved so far], to be honest, because my whole family used to tell me that one day I will be one of the best players to come out of Zimbabwe.’’

Tor further prove that Dynamos were wrong not to consider him, he has now made his Ligue 1 breakthrough by signing for Lyon from Le Havre.

Following a remarkable turnaround in personal fortunes, Kadewere could be coming up against the likes of Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo in the next few weeks.

Lyon are set to clash with Paris Saint-Germain in the Coupe de La Ligue final on July 31, before visiting Juventus for a Uefa Champions League Round of 16, second leg clash seven days later.

With Lyon having won the first leg 1-0, they could proceed to face either Manchester City or Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.

“I would not say I am prepared or not prepared [facing PSG and Juventus],’’ said Kadewere.

“I am just working extra hard to make sure I do my very best, if given the chance, to play in both games. But, what is most important, is for the team to win both games because they are so important for us and the future.

“My target, for now, is to make sure I get as much game time as possible so that I get to study, and also get used to the playing system, of the team and Ligue 1 football. I am not setting any goal targets but would love to score as many goals as possible.’’

Kadewere is the fourth Zimbabwean to play in Ligue 1 after Benjani Mwaruwari, Harlington Shereni and Ovidy Karuru, who is currently with Stellenbosch FC.