ZIFA NC blue-ticked

Eddie Chikamhi

 THE ZIFA Normalisation Committee suffered a double blow this week as they seek to prepare for next month’s Fifa World Cup qualifying games during the current international break.

An attempt to call up senior national team key players based overseas via WhatsApp failed to yield results and have since settled for lesser names, predominantly South African based.

Also, as reported by Zimpapers Sports yesterday, an attempt to squeeze an international friendly against neighbours Botswana flopped.

The Warriors will now just group and prepare on their own in a training camp.

Zifa yesterday unveiled a squad of 24 players that will work under the surveillance of new Warriors coach Baltemar for the next few days in preparation of next month’s World Cup qualifying games.

A statement from ZIFA said the proposed game, meant to give Brito a better appreciation of the resources at his disposal before serious international commitments, had “been cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control”.

The ZIFA officials were left in an uncomfortable spot after the Botswana Football Association announced they were not aware of the friendly match, and instead confirmed their scheduled friendly game against Eswatini in Lobatse next Monday.

 “The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) advises all football stakeholders that our planned international friendly match against Botswana has been cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control,” said a statement from ZIFA.

“The association sincerely regrets all inconveniences that this unfortunate development has caused to all our stakeholders.

“The training camp for the Warriors will still go ahead until the end of the international break. This will give the technical team more time to assess their options ahead of crucial FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Nigeria in November,” said ZIFA in a statement.

The squad of 24 called up yesterday comprises 16 local and eight foreign-based players, with the majority coming from South Africa.

Veteran goalkeeper Washington Arubi, who plays for Supersport United in the Supa Diski, leads the South African-based contingent that also has club teammates Ronald Pfumbidzai and Terrence Dzvukamanja as well as Tatenda Tavengwa of Venda Football Academy and the Golden Arrows duo of Devine Lunga and Knox Mutizwa.

Midfielder Never Tigere, who plays in Tanzania, is also in the squad while unheralded defender Munashe Garananga who recently featured in the UEFA champions League with Sheriff Tiraspol of Moldova is the only European-based professional.

ZIFA could not explain the absence of some of the key Warriors players like Jordan Zemura, Marvelous Nakamba, Tino Kadewere, Marshall Munetsi, Kundai Benyu and US-based Teenage Hadebe, who reportedly got an unorthodox invitation via WhatsApp.

Brito is still to familiarise himself with most of Zimbabwe’s players. He has only been in charge of one game after leading a band of local-based Warriors to Botswana to feature in the country’s 57th Independence Day celebrations. The hosts won the encounter via a penalty shoot-out.

This was the second game for the Warriors who are coming back to international football following the recent lifting of the FIFA ban that had ostracized them for 17 months.

They played the first game against Namibia at the National Sports Stadium as part of the festivities for the inauguration of President Mnangagwa.

But more important games are in the pipeline when Zimbabwe begin their quest for the 2026 World Cup next month.

The Warriors are in Group C of the qualifiers along with Rwanda, Nigeria, South Africa, Benin and Lesotho.

They will open their campaign away to Rwanda in the second week of November and then face Nigeria a few days later. However, they will not be able to host the Super Eagles on home soil because the local stadiums have been condemned by FIFA. The ZIFA Normalisation Committee is still weighing options between playing in South Africa and Botswana.

Zimbabwe’s World Cup qualifying opponents South Africa and Nigeria are among a host of African countries that will be busy with international friendlies in the coming two weeks.

Bafana Bafana will play Swaziland and Cote d’Ivoire while the Nigerians have friendly dates with Saudi Arabia and Mozambique in Maputo as they prepare for the trip to Zimbabwe.

Warriors squad for the training camp:

Goalkeepers: Washington Arubi (SuperSport United), Prince Tafiremutsa (Dynamos), Wallace Magalane (FC Platinum)

Defenders: Ronald Pfumbidzai (SuperSport United), Peter Muduhwa, Andrew Mbeba (Highlanders), Godknows Murwira (CAPS United), Munashe Garananga (FC Sheriff Tiraspol), Devine Lunga (Golden Arrows), Xolani Ndlovu (Chicken Inn), Frank Makarati (Dynamos)

Midfielders: Never Tiger (Ihefu S.C), Tatenda Tavengwa (Venda Football Academy), Tanaka Shandirwa (Dynamos), Brian Banda, Walter Musona (FC Platinum), Phenias Bamusi (CAPS United), Takunda Benhura (Ngezi Platinum Stars), Gerald Bero (Manica Diamonds), Shepherd Mhlanga (Chicken Inn)

Forwards: Obriel Chirinda (Bulawayo Chiefs), Knox Mutizwa (Golden Arrows), Terrence Dzvukamanja (SuperSport United), Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya (FC Platinum)