Billiat in Warriors

By Petros Kausiyo
EXCITING Ajax Cape Town forward Khama Billiat has finally been rewarded for his consistency with a maiden call-up to the Warriors squad for the African Cup of nations showdown with Mali in Bamako at the end of the month.
The Warriors will resume their Group A campaign with a tough away assignment against the Eagles of Mali on March 26.
Warriors coach Norman Mapeza yesterday named a largely unchanged 23-man squad from the one that did duty in against Cape Verde at the National Sports Stadium last year, which ended in a 0-0 draw.
But Billiat, the best performing of the Zimbabwean trio at Ajax Cape Town has finally won recognition with the slim forward being the only fresh inclusion in the Warriors side.
Billiat is at the Urban Warriors together with Tafadzwa Rusike and Willard Katsande who have however, been overlooked for the Battle of Bamako.
Rusike, who was part of the team that played against Liberia and Cape Verde and Katsande have also not been seeing a lot of game time at a youthful Ajax Cape Town side that is very much in the reckoning for the Absa Premiership title.
In contrast Billiat is highly rated by Ajax Cape Town after a fine debut season for the club that has helped the Urban Warriors into second place and three points behind leaders Orlando Pirates.
His exploits for his club have not been lost on the national team selectors and Billiat was part of the squad, which Warriors manager Sharrif Mussa said is expected to assemble in Harare on March 20.
There were no places, however for veteran Mamelodi Sundowns skipper Esrom Nyandoro, his Brazilians teammate Lionel Mtizwa, Quincy Antipas and Ashley Rambanapasi who were part of the side that drew with Cape Verde.
But there is a welcome return for big CAPS United goalkeeper Edmore Sibanda, who will have to compete for the first choice place with Dynamos’ Washington Arubi and veteran Tapuwa Kapini of South African Premiership outfit Platinum Stars.
France-based midfielder Ovidy Karuru has also been given a chance to revive his Warriors career after last featuring for the senior team in the high-profile international friendly against Brazil’s World Cup side at the National Sports Stadium in June last year.
In naming the squad Mapeza, who has a strong bias for youth also rewarded the Under-23 trio of Gunners left back Qadr Amini and Dynamos midfielders Archieford Gutu and Denver Mukamba.
Amini, Mukamba and Gutu acquitted themselves well for Zimbabwe at the African Nations Championships in Sudan last month. The Young Warriors trio will, however, not be short of experienced company with Mapeza retaining seasoned campaigners like Tinashe Nengomasha of Kaizer Chiefs, Method Mwanjali, Austrian-based Justice Majabvi, Al Hilal hotshot Edward Sadomba, and Onismor Bhasera who is plying his trade with Plymouth Argyle in England.
Mapeza also struck a balance between the local and foreign-based players by including 10 men from the domestic Premiership.
Mussa said he was hopeful that the payers would turn up for camp early as they had a tight travel itinerary for Bamako.
“We want the players to start assembling on Sunday night and we hope they will catch the first flights after their various club assignments.
“Our travel arrangement at the moment is that we will leave at dawn on 23 March via Kenya and arriving in Bamako later that day.
“So there is very little time to train at home and that is why we are hoping that the players come in early from their bases,’ Mussa said.
Mussa also cast a huge shadow on the possibility of the 23-man squad travelling to Windhoek for the proposed international friendly against Namibia on March 21.
“We are still to get clarification from the secretariat about the Namibia game but at the moment that is programme that we have given them.
“Our biggest challenge is the flight connections in Africa and it might be difficult for all our players to be in Windhoek in time for the friendly match,” Mussa said.
Zifa and the Namibian Football Association had sealed an agreement in which the Warriors would play against the Brave Warriors as part of commemorations to mark Namibia’s Independence Day.
There are now chances that Zifa could send the home-based Warriors who were part of the CHAN tournament to Namibia and give the Brave Warriors a run as the Namibians will also be preparing for their Nations Cup qualifier against Burkina Faso on the same weekend that Mapeza’s men will be in Bamako.
Warriors squad for Mali:
Goalkeepers
W. Arubi (Dynamos) T. Kapini (Platinum Stars), E. Sibanda (CAPS United).
Defenders
M. Mwanjali (Mamelodi Sundowns), T. Sweswe (Kaizer Chiefs); N. Kaseke (Omonia Nicosia), G. Mapemba (CAPS United), G. Zhokinyi (Dynamos), Q. Amini (Gunners), O. Bhasera (Plymouth Argyle).
Midfielders
T. Nengomasha (Kaizer Chiefs), V. Nyoni (Germinal Beerschot), O. Karuru (US Boulogne), B. Ncube (FC Platinum), A. Gutu (Dynamos), B. Marere (Highfield United), K Billiat (Ajax Cape Town), J. Majabvi (LASK Linz), D. Mukamba (Dynamos).
Strikers
E. Sadomba (Al Hilal), N. Maroto (FC Platinum), N Mushekwi (Mamelodi Sundowns), K. Musona (Kaizer Chiefs).