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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
WARRIORS coach Baltemar Brito yesterday pleaded with Zimbabweans to be patient with the leadership at ZIFA as he led the Warriors on their first training camp in Harare following a turbulent week for domestic football.
The Brazilian coach, who was supposed to be taking his charges in an international friendly match against Botswana this weekend before it turned out the match was never agreed, said he was content with the arrangement to have his players in a training camp to compensate for the lost opportunity during the current FIFA window.
The Warriors, just like all the teams across the continent, are preparing for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
“We are here not to find excuses, we are here to try and find solutions. Of course, not having a friendly match is a setback in terms of preparations. But we are not worried about it,” he told journalists.
“Right now we are focused on this training camp and of course use the moment the best possible and doing our best during this time because we know that everyone is trying to provide the best conditions possible.”
The 71-year-old gaffer and his assistants Genesis Mangombe and Bongani Mafu yesterday welcomed a group of players, mostly local based, for the training camp.
With only seven foreign-based players made it for the training camp following huge communication gaffes especially with the European-based contingent.
Veteran goalkeeper Washington Arubi and his SuperSport United teammate in South Africa Ronald Pfumbidzai were among the players in camp along with fellow Sups Disk stars Knox Mutizwa, Devine Lunga, as well as Tatenda Tavengwa who play for South African second tier side Venda Academy.
Tanzania-based midfielder Never Tigere also made it. Munashe Garananga, who played UEFA Champions League with serial Moldovan champions Sheriff Tiraspol also returned home after getting his first national team call up. But the majority of the key foreign-based players like Marshall Munetsi, Marvelous Nakamba, Tino Kadewere and Teenage Hadebe were conspicuous by their absence.
“Of course if we could assess everyone it could be better. When we speak about preparations it is also about assessing more new players and having more time to look at the ones that we already have.
“Unfortunately, the European-based ones, the time was short to invite them to camp. But with some of them we are trying to collect as much information as possible. “We are also trying to do our job from here but right now there is no time to find excuses, there is no time to blame anyone; there is time to focus and understand that soon we have an important game for Zimbabwean football.
Online Reporter