Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
GOLDEN Arrows striker Knox Mutizwa seems to have cost himself a place in the Warriors’ squad for the World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Ethiopia early next month by snubbing the Cosafa Cup call-up in June.
Mutizwa pulled out of the squad citing his wife’s illness.
That didn’t go down well with the Warriors’ technical staff, who felt his excuse was unjustified and even hinted that it would be difficult for Mutizwa to find his way back into the national team.
They felt Mutizwa had ditched the Warriors when the team needed him most.
The Warriors went on to have a disastrous Cosafa Cup campaign, losing all their games.
Azam striker Prince Dube, who Zifa said was erroneously listed in the squad Zifa initially tweeted yesterday, will not be involved, as he is still recovering from an injury that kept him out of the final games of the Tanzanian Premier League last season.
A troubling inclusion in the squad is Ovidy Karuru, who is unattached after parting ways with Black Leopards in the South African Premier Soccer League last season.
Karuru is almost always the first name on the Warriors list regardless of his form, as he has become a permanent member of the squad. It seems Karuru has powerful backers that always push for his inclusion in the Warriors’ squad.
Another unattached player that found favour from the technical team is defender Jimmy Dzingai despite his poor showing in the last games he played.
Zifa will be hoping the coaches won’t be forced to alter the squad after including United Kingdom-based players despite uncertainty surrounding their availability.
The English Premier League has backed its clubs for refusing to release players to Covid-19 red listed countries, which include Zimbabwe.
If the UK clubs don’t change their stance, Zifa might be forced to draft in some players overlooked in the current call-up.
Zifa feels the players will be released with the intervention of world football governing body Fifa. – @innocentskizoe
Online Reporter