Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE international defender Munashe Garananga is expected to play his EIGHTH match in UEFA inter-club competitions tomorrow evening in the past two months.
The 22-year-old is the first-choice centre back at Moldovan champions Sheriff Tiraspol who face another make-or-break showdown against Ki Klaksvik in a UEFA Europa League qualifier.
The tie is delicately balanced at 1-1 after the first leg in the Faroe Islands.
Tiraspol, who became the sweethearts of world football after defeating Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in a Champions League fixture, have had a lengthy adventure to try and play with the elite clubs of the continent.
Garananga, who is expected to make the Warriors squad when they assemble for World Cup duty, has featured in all the club’s matches in the heart of their defence. He played in four Champions League preliminary round qualifiers against FCV Faral (twice) and Maccabi Haifa (twice).
They won against FCV Farai but were eliminated by Maccabi Haifa in extra-time.
It meant Sheriff dropped into the Europa League qualifiers where they thrashed Bate Borisov 7-3 on aggregate to book a date against Ki Klaksvik.
They need victory tomorrow to keep their dream alive in the Europa League where one of their possible opponents could be Liverpool.
Garananga has clocked 690 minutes in the Champions League/Europa League qualifiers and another 90 minutes in the league.
He is yet to be substituted, even in the matches, which spilled into extra-time.