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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
THE Dynamos duo of Simba Chinani and Juan Mutudza have become the latest players to be dropped from Zimbabwe’s training squad for the CHAN tournament by coach Zdravko Logarusic.
The pair, along with CAPS United forward Ishmael Wadi, were released yesterday after the team had engaged league champions FC Platinum at the National Sports Stadium.
ZIFA announced on their social media platforms that Manica Diamonds attacking midfielder, Talent Chamboko, has been called-up to beef-up the side.
Chamboko forced his way into the training squad after he had impressed the coach during a friendly match between the Gem Boys and the Warriors on Monday. The Warriors lost the match 2-3.
The Warriors have played a series of friendly games with local Premiership teams and the coach, Zdravko Logarusic, has not hesitated to chop and change his side.
They have played matches against Ngezi Platinum, Yadah, CAPS United, and yesterday they had a sparring session with FC Platinum who are also preparing for their upcoming CAF Champions League first round clash with Simba SC of Tanzania next week.
The match ended in a 2-2 draw.
Loga announced a 34-member training squad a fortnight ago and has been constantly reviewing his options. The coach faced a complicated situation in his preparations for next month’s CHAN tournament as he called players that never played competitive football this year.
Loga has now shuffled almost half the squad. By yesterday he had made 15 changes to the initial training squad.
The Croatian coach last week called up forgotten Warriors midfielder Denver Mukamba after he impressed him in his first friendly match against Ngezi Platinum. He has also extended the invitations to defender Carlos Mavhurume, Tafadzwa Jaravani, Richard Hachiro, Ronald Chitiyo and Munyaradzi Diro Nyenye.
Among those that have been sent home is CAPS United’s Phenias Bamusi, Valentine Musarurwa, William Manondo, Collins Duwa, Xolani Ndlovu and Valentine Kadonzvo.
Loga, who has expressed his dissatisfaction with players’ fitness after the coronavirus eight months induced lay-off, has pledged to play more friendly matches against local teams to assess his players.
“We want to be sure that no one misses out on a chance to be in the CHAN squad,” said Loga on why the team is training with PSL teams. More training games are coming up before they take the Christmas break this weekend.
Meanwhile, the ZIFA annual general meeting, which had been scheduled for Saturday, has been postponed to the end of the year due to late receipt of the national association’s audited financial statements.
There was also a statutory requirement for the financial statements to be distributed at least 15 days before the AGM.
“The Zimbabwe Football Association hereby informs you of the postponement of the ZIFA annual general meeting previously set for the 19th of December 2020,” wrote the ZIFA communications and competitions manager Xolisani Gwesela announcing postponement of the gathering to the association’s 25 affiliates.
Gwesela said the agenda of the meeting, to be held at a yet to be identified place in Harare, remains unchanged.
“Please kindly note that the postponement has been necessitated by the late receipt of the 2019 ZIFA audited financial statements resulting from circumstances beyond the auditors and ZIFA’s control.
“Further, there is need to comply with our constitution, which requires that financial statements be circulated at least 15 days before the AGM, while also making sure that the AGM takes place in 2020.
The executive committee has therefore seen it fit to reschedule the AGM to the 31st December 2020,” wrote Gwesela.
Online Reporter