Zim’s coach gives verdict on Divine Lunga’s lack of game time
Although he is sidelined at Mamelodi Sundowns, talented left-back Divine Lunga has received assurance from the Zimbabwe national team coach.
The talented left-back Divine Lunga returned to Mamelodi Sundowns at the start of the current season.
That was after spending the 2022/23 season at Golden Arrows on loan. Lunga swapped to the Tshwane giants in 2021 but struggled to break into Rulani Mokwena’s first team.
As a result, he was loaned back to Golden Arrows for the whole of the 2022/23 DStv Premiership season.
At Arrows, he was impressive in all competitions under Mabhuti Khanyeza and Vusimuzi Vilakazi. But that has not been the case after returning to restart his life in Pretoria in the 2023/24 season.
The 28-year-old Lunga is yet to feature for Masandawana this season, fuelling speculation about his future at the club.
Lunga has been waiting for his Permanent Residency permit, which would enable him to register as a local.
WHAT THE ZIMBABWE NATIONAL TEAM COACH SAID ABOUT DIVINE LUNGA
Naturally, the lack of game time puts his chances of being called up to the Zimbabwe national team at risk.
However, the well-travelled Zimbabwe national team coach is not reading much into the defender’s current situation at club level.
In fact, he included the Bulawayo-born player in the team that played in the recent 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. This is despite the player being on the sidelines at the club.
Lunga is one of the best left-backs in Zimbabwe, a position that he competes with Italy-based Jordan Zemura as well as SuperSport United‘s Ronald Pfumbidzai.
Speaking to FARPost via his fitness trainer and interpreter, Antonio Torres, Baltermar Brito said: “There are a lot of players over the world who don’t play too much on clubs. And they are called to the national team, so at the moment, he will decide,” he said.
The veteran coach is hopeful his contract, which expires on 31 December, will be renewed. But he still has faith in the former Chicken Inn FC star.
“There is a long time to March, and even the coach doesn’t know if he would be in charge on [of the] national team because contracts end in a week,” Brito added.
Brito was appointed the Warriors head coach prior to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers that were played in November.
He helped them manage two draws against Rwanda and Nigeria, with Lunga featuring against the former.
Moreover, the former Jose Mourinho assistant coach parted ways with Highlanders FC in Zimbabwe’s PSL.
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