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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
UNITED-States based Warriors’ defender Teenage Hadebe will arrive in Harare today and join the squad in camp after pressing family issues delayed his travelling last week.
The Warriors started trooping into camp on Christmas eve to start preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations finals and they held their first training session on Sunday.
Hadebe’s absence had led to speculation that the defender had joined England-based right-back Tendai Darikwa in snubbing the national team.
The Wigan Athletic captain in the English Championship asked to be excused from the Warriors’ Afcon squad for personal reasons about two weeks ago.
According to national teams’ general manager Wellington Mpandare, Darikwa stays more than 400km away from Wigan and travels literally every day to be with his family. He, therefore, does not want to be away from his family for a long time.
“Hadebe will join the team today. He was dealing with a personal issue and that is sorted now. There was never an issue concerning his commitment to the side like we have read. He is ready to do his best for the country. He will be in Harare by the end of the day today,” said a source close to the defender.
The Warriors are forging ahead with preparations for the Afcon finals despite threats of suspension from world football governing body Fifa.
Fifa has given the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) a January 3 deadline to reinstate the entire suspended Zifa board or risk being frozen out from all forms of international football.
The SRC suspended the Zifa board over a raft of charges, but Fifa says it deems the sanction interference in the running of its affiliate by a third party in violation of its statutes.
The Afcon finals will kick off in Cameroon on January 6 and Zifa is believed to have approached the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) members Sudan and Ethiopia with proposals for friendly matches in preparation for the month-long tournament.
Zimbabwe were drawn in Group B with Senegal, Guinea and Malawi. They open their campaign against Senegal on January 10.
Coach Norman Mapeza is expected to trim his 30-member provisional squad to a 23-man travelling squad on Friday.
Warriors provisional 30-man squad
Goalkeepers: Petros Mhari (FC Platinum), Martin Mapisa (FC Zamora, Spain), Talbert Shumba (Free State Stars, SA), Taimon Mvula (Dynamos)
Defenders: Peter Muduwa (Highlanders), Alec Mudimu (Torpedo Kutaisi, Georgia), Takudzwa Chimwemwe (Nkana, Zambia), Jordan Zemura (FC Bournemouth, England), Tapiwa Sibanda (Craneborne Bullets), Godknows Murwira, Frank Mukarati (Dynamos), Gerald Takwara (Venda Football Academy, SA), Teenage Hadebe (Houston Dynamo, US), Bruce Kangwa (Azam, Tanzania), Onismor Bhasera (SuperSport, SA)
Midfielders: Temptation Chiwanga (JDR Stars, SA), Kelvin Madzongwe (FC Platinum), Bill Antonio (Dynamos), Thabani Kamusoko (Zesco United, Zambia), Never Tigere (Azam, Tanzania), Ishamel Wadi (JDR Stars, SA), Kudakwashe Mahachi (SuperSport, SA), Shepherd Mhlanga (Chicken Inn), Panashe Mutimbanyoka (FC Platinum)
Strikers: Admiral Muskwe (Luton Town, England), Knox Mutizwa (Golden Arrows, SA), Prince Dube (Azam, Tanzania), David Moyo (Hamilton Academia, Scotland), Knowledge Musona (Al-Tai, Saud Arabia), Tinotenda Kadewere (Olympique Lyon, France)
Online Reporter