Photo: CAF EDWARD Sadomba welcomed the news of his reprieve from the Asiagate match-fixing allegations by firing a brace that took his Sudanese club Al Hilal into the Confederation Cup semi-finals on Friday night. Sadomba was last Thursday cleared by Zifa together with six other players -- Cuthbert Malajila, Kignston Nkatha, Energy Murambadoro, Ephraim Mazarura, Justice Majabvi and Lincoln Zvasiya after they were found not guilty of any wrong-doing in the match-fixing allegations that rocked the Warriors' controversial tours to Asia.
A day after the reprieve, Sadomba was also revelling at being recalled to the Warriors squad for the crunch 2013 African Cup Nations final qualifier against Angola in Luanda on October 14. The former Dynamos hitman welcomed the news of the reprieve by scoring a double against fellow Sudanese outfit Al Shandy in Khartoum.
Sadomba's brace that not only ensured Al Hilal seal their place in the confederation Cup but also left him at the top of the tournament's goal-scoring charts with five goals.
In qualifying for the semi-finals, Hilal joined bitter Khartoum rivals El Merreikh who had become the first team from their group to reach the last four.
The 29-year-old striker scored late in the first half and midway through the second in sauna-like Omdurman as Hilal clinched a semi-final place in the second-tier African club competition.
Hilal have 11 points and bitter domestic rivals Al Merreikh 10 and their mid-October derby will decide who tops Group A, which is completed by Angolan police outfit InterClube.
Sadomba has netted five times in the Confederation Cup this season, making him joint leading scorer with Ismaila Diarra from Malian club CO Bamako, who were eliminated during the qualifiers.
His performances in Africa and Sudan earned him a place this week among 32 candidates for the 2012 Caf Africa-based Footballer of the Year, and he was also cleared of match-fixing allegations.
Now Sadomba will be hoping to take that scoring form to Angola when the Warriors date the Palancas Negras in the decisive encounter in Luanda.
Zimbabwe carry what appears a healthy 3-1 lead achieved in the first leg at Rufaro on September 9.
The Warriors technical department grabbed the opportunity of the having more players cleared by immediately drafting Sadomba, Nkatha, Murambadoro, Mazarura, Malajila and Zvasiya in the squad that will begin their camp this morning ahead of their trip to Luanda.
Speaking from his base in Khartoum, the former Dynamos hitman, said he was now looking forward to resuming his Warriors career.
"Because I knew I was clean from the onset, it (the allegations) didn't affect me personally and in terms of my performances as I was doing well for my club. Now we are in the semi-final of the Confederation Cup and I am second top scorer currently.
"But in terms of reputation people tend to lose confidence in you business-wise when you have the allegations hanging especially when offers come from other clubs. It was a procedure the investigating committee had to go through and we respect that.
"We thank God that I have been cleared and now the whole world knows that I am clean. I thank God for being cleared and this is good for my family, friends, club, business, religious colleagues and the country as a whole," Sadomba said.
Sadomba also said he had been humbled by the confidence that coach Rahman Gumbo and his lieutenants - David Mandigora and Peter Ndlovu - had shown in him by drafting him into the squad for the massive assignment in Luanda.
"I also thank the coaches for selecting me for the national team sat this crucial stage. We need positive results to qualify for Afcon 2013... it is a national assignment that needs every Zimbabwean to have an input.
"That input can be in kind, monetary and prayers asking for God's mercy," Sadomba said.
The inclusion of Sadomba, Malajila and Nkatha also widens Gumbo's selection options in attack where the coach has also included talisman Knowledge Musona, Takesure Chinyama, Abbas Amidu and Nelson Maziwisa.
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