Zambian striker Kingstone Mutandwa made an instant impact on his Austrian Bundesliga debut for SV Ried, scoring and assisting in a thrilling 2-2 draw against RB Salzburg on Saturday evening.
The 22-year-old, currently on a season-long loan from Italian Serie A side Cagliari, didn’t take long to show what he’s made of. Having already impressed in pre-season, Mutandwa carried that momentum into his first league match, delivering a man-of-the-match performance against one of Austria’s top sides.
Salzburg went ahead early through Soto Kitano, who struck from the edge of the box in the 9th minute. But Mutandwa brought Ried level in the 31st minute with a smart header into the bottom left corner — his first competitive goal for the club.
Early in the second half, Mutandwa was in the thick of the action again. After a dangerous ball was whipped into the box, he linked up well in the build-up as Oliver Steurer slotted home to make it 2-1 in the 53rd minute.
It looked like the newly promoted side were on their way to a stunning upset, but Salzburg struck back right at the death through Yorbe Vertessen, who found the equalizer with virtually the last kick of the game in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
While the late goal denied Ried all three points, it was a debut to remember for Mutandwa. Since joining the club in June, he’s already made seven appearances, scoring three goals and providing one assist, including a brace against Leifering in a friendly last month.
For a player who made history last season as only the second Zambian to score in Italy’s top flight after Lameck Banda, Mutandwa’s journey in Austria is already off to a flying start.
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