Tadious Manyepo Zimpapers Sports Hub
WARRIORS coach Ramon Catala said no footballer would want to be in the unfortunate situation Equatorial Guinea goalkeeper Jesús Owono finds himself in after the 25-year-old was forced to drop out of the squad to face Zimbabwe in back-to-back encounters.
The 46-times-capped Owono, will miss the crucial Group E 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Zimbabwe after his inadvertent clash with Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel resulted in the latter’s death early last week.
Owono sprinted off his line in the dying ambers of the Spanish Laliga 2 match between his team FC Andorra and Tenerife before colliding with Miguel on Monday last week with the striker subsequently passing on early Tuesday.
It’s a story that has caught worldwide attention and the remorseful Owono, who was red-carded after the incident is reportedly even considering to retire from football.
Equatorial Guinea coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese has since named his 25-member squad without him with goalkeepers Manuel Sapunga of Sekhukhune United, Marcos Luis Ondo of Atlético Tomelloso and
Miguel Angel Oscar / Nkogo chosen for the ties against Zimbabwe.
“It’s a sad situation, no footballer can be in,” said Catala.
“When you hear what the goalkeeper is going through, you feel for him as a human being first before you think about him as a footballer. We really feel for him.”
Zimbabwe play Equatorial Guinea on Thursday in Yaounde, Cameroon, before the two teams meet again at the National Sports Stadium four days later.
It is a double-header that could define Zimbabwe’s qualification campaign, but Catala says his heart goes out to Owono.
Catala, however, insists Zimbabwe must remain focused on the job at hand.
The Warriors are on three points after the first two games, level with Equatorial Guinea, while DRC lead the group.
Zimbabwe need maximum points from the double-header to put themselves in a strong position to qualify for the 2027 AFCON finals to be jointly hosted by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
Catala is confident his team will win both games, and he is also hoping DRC can drop points against Sierra Leone.
“I am confident that Zimbabwe will win and I am hoping DRC, who lead the group, can also drop points against Sierra Leone,” said Catala.
“We have prepared very well for these two games. The players know what is at stake.
“They know that if we win both games against Equatorial Guinea, we will be in a very good position to qualify.
“We are not going to Yaounde to draw. We are going there to win. We are not going to wait for the home game.
“We want to win the first game, and then we want to come back home to Harare and win again in front of our fans at the National Sports Stadium. That is our mentality. That is our ambition.
“We have a good team. We have good players. We have players who are playing in Europe, players who are playing in Africa, players who are hungry to make Zimbabwe proud.
“We believe in ourselves. We believe in our plan. We know Equatorial Guinea are a good team, but we also know that we are Zimbabwe. We have to be brave. We have to be disciplined.
“We have to be clinical in front of goal. If we do that, we will win. And yes, I am also looking at the other game. DRC are leading the group, but they are playing Sierra Leone, who are also a very good team. “Sierra
Leone are strong and they can cause problems for anyone. If DRC drop points, it will be good for us. It will open up the group. But first, we must do our own job. We cannot depend on other results. We must win our games. If we win our games, everything else will take care of itself. I am confident.”
Catala knows Nzalang Nacional will not be easy opponents.
The Central Africans have grown in stature in recent years and have caused problems for some of the biggest teams on the continent.
But the Spanish coach says Zimbabwe have what it takes to overcome them.
“Equatorial Guinea is tough, but I am confident,” said Catala.
“They are a very tough team. They are organised. They are disciplined. They defend well. They are dangerous on the counter-attack. They have experienced players who have played at the AFCON. They know how to manage games.
“They know how to make it difficult for you. We have watched them. We have studied them. We know their strengths and we know their weaknesses. We respect them, but we do not fear them. We are Zimbabwe.
We have our own quality. We have our own strengths.
“We have players who can change a game in a moment. We have a team that is hungry. We have a team that wants to qualify. I believe in this team. I believe we will get the results we need.”
With both teams on three points, the double-header is a six-pointer. The team that wins both games will take a huge step towards 2027 AFCON finals.
