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By BARNABAS ZULU
ZAMBIAN striker Kingstone Mutandwa marked his Austrian Bundesliga debut in style, scoring and assisting in a thrilling 2-2 draw for SV Ried against league giants RB Salzburg on Saturday evening.
The 22-year-old, on a season-long loan from Italian Serie A side Cagliari, made an instant impact in what turned out to be a dramatic clash.
Having impressed during pre-season, Mutandwa translated that form into a standout performance that earned him the man-of-the-match accolade on his competitive league debut.
Salzburg drew first blood early, with Soto Kitano firing home from the edge of the box in the ninth minute to hand the hosts an early lead.
But Mutandwa responded with composure and class. In the 31st minute, he found space in the box and guided a clever header into the bottom left corner to level matters – a memorable first competitive goal for SV Ried.
The Zambian forward wasn’t done yet.
Early in the second half, Mutandwa was involved again. After helping to orchestrate a dangerous attack, he combined neatly in the build-up that saw Oliver Steurer slot home Ried’s second goal in the 53rd minute, stunning the home crowd and putting the newly promoted side 2-1 up.
But just when Ried seemed destined to pull off a shock victory, Salzburg snatched a last-gasp equaliser.
In the 96th minute, Yorbe Vertessen found the back of the net to deny Ried all three points with virtually the final kick of the game.
Despite the heartbreak at the end, the match belonged to Mutandwa.
Since joining Ried in June, the former Zambia Under-20 international has featured seven times, scoring three goals and providing one assist.
He already caught attention last month with a brace in a friendly against Leifering, and his Bundesliga debut only added to the growing excitement around his potential.
Mutandwa, who last season etched his name in history as only the second Zambian to score in Italy’s top flight after Lameck Banda, looks set for another breakout season – this time in Austria.
