BRITISH publication Daily Mail ranked midfielder Marvelous Nakamba third best after another stellar performance for Championship playoff-final bound Luton Town Tuesday night.
By Bhora Afrika
Luton Town, the home Nakamba chose after falling out of favour at Premier League side Aston Villa in January, is one win away from a historic promotion into England’s topflight.
A beyond expectations performance at home saw them overturn Sunderland’s 2-1 in the first leg of their semi-final to clinch a 2-0 win; ensuring a 3-1 aggregate win.
The Hatters will face either Middlesborough or Coventry in the final set for Wembley Stadium. They will only know their opponents after Wednesday’s second leg semifinal between the two sides.
“It’s incredible. I’m so proud of the players and pleased for this football club, these fans and everyone connected to the club. To get to Wembley and a final is incredible. When you get to finals it becomes about winning so I’m aware that there’s still a job to do. But it is a great feeling,” said Luton Manager Rob Edwards.
“We started really well and on the front foot as we’d hoped and it kind of went to plan. You can’t plan to score at the right moments, but you hope it can come off that way. We started on the front foot and put them under a lot of pressure. To get a couple of goals up was great and to see it out was even better. Over the two legs they haven’t had loads and loads of chances. Tonight, we had a lot. I thought it was a thoroughly deserved win. I’m delighted for the lads.”
Nakamba was ranked 0.5 points behind Man of the Match Tom Lockyer (9) and Congolese Ruddock Mpanzu (9). He managed to break up Sunderland attacks especially in a tense last 15 minutes in which a goal from The Black Cats would have forced the match into extra-time.
His return to the Premier League would be a major coup for Luton, and would be a fitting reward for the Zimbabwe Warriors midfielder after a difficult few years.
Nakamba has, since his loan move, been praised for an unmatched work ethic and his ability to break up play. He will be hoping to play a key role in Luton’s bid to reach the Premier League.
Luton are the smallest club ever to reach the Championship playoff final, and they would be the first team to win promotion from the third tier of English football since Bournemouth in 2015.
Despite being underdogs going into the final, they have shown all season that they are capable of beating the big teams. A reproduction of their 2-0 win at Wembley could see them celebrating all off season into the 2023/24 cash rich Premier League.