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Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER senior national soccer team players have described the Warriors’ African Cup of Nations qualifiers preparations as a cocktail for disaster.
Zimbabwe takes on Malawi in Blantyre on Saturday and Warriors’ coach Callisto Pasuwa only announced his team yesterday afternoon.
In a telephone interview from his Botswana base, former national team captain Ephraim “The Rock of Gibraltar” Chawanda took a swipe at Zifa and warned that haphazard preparations were open to match-fixing.
“No reasonable association can expect their coach to get results with no preparations. It’s a joke to call a squad three days before such a crucial game. If I may take you back, the root of Asiagate was such clandestine national team call-ups. Zifa should be serious if our football is to develop,” said Chawanda.
The former dependable central defender said during his time, locally-based players would assemble two weeks before an international game with those plying their trade outside the country joining camp at least five days ahead of the game.
This was meant to afford the coach ample time to get his style and combinations correct.
Ex-Highlanders striker Zenzo Moyo concurred saying the preparatory stage is key to winning games.
“The most important stage is preparing for the game. Match day is something else but how you plan determines the way you play. Remember these people play in different leagues and it’s not like they grew up playing together. The types of training they receive is different, hence the need for reasonable time to understand the coach’s philosophy. Surely, what can Pasuwa do in three days? It’s not fair on him to demand a result at such short notice,” said Moyo.
He also lashed at the divided Zifa leadership.
“Football is bigger than individuals and when it comes to the national team, these Zifa administrators must put their differences aside because the country’s pride will be at stake. If they can’t work together, then they don’t deserve to lead Zimbabwe’s football.”
Pasuwa delayed naming his squad because of a contractual impasse with Zifa.
The national team coach named a squad of 19 players comprising 10 foreign-based and nine locally-based.
By late call-ups, Moyo said Zifa put foreign-based players’ future at risk.
“It seems Zifa doesn’t respect players at all. Remember they are employed by clubs and Zifa should communicate on time with players’ paymasters. Now the question is did Zifa talk to the players’ clubs? It’s not nice for a player to end up being caught up in a club and country war. There is need for Zifa to be organised,” Moyo.
Footballers’ Union of Zimbabwe (FUZ) secretary-general and former national team left back Paul Gundani encouraged players not to snub national team call-up despite late notification from Zifa.
“Zifa has erred. The delay in assembling a squad is a cocktail for disaster because some of the guys are already enjoying their holidays and to abruptly shift focus to the game is asking too much from them. However, our message as FUZ to the players is that they must report for duty because Zifa has inconsiderate people, who can suspend them if they don’t turn up,” Gundani said.
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