Herald launches Keep Our Boys At Home campaign

Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter

TODAY we launch the ‘‘Keep Our Boys At Home (KOBAH)’’ campaign to try and rally everyone who has the power to fight and ensure the Warriors play their 2021 AFCON qualifier against Algeria at Barbourfields at the end of the month.

In doing so, we are inspired by the possibility that there is a real chance the Warriors could still host the Desert Foxes at home in this crucial assignment.

We have seen some spirited efforts from the Government and ZIFA, in the last few days, to try and resolve the crisis, which led CAF to the ban on all our stadiums from hosting international matches.

Of course, questions still have to be asked as to why such efforts were not made in November last year, when the red flags were raised by the CAF inspectors and the National Sports Stadium and Rufaro were banned from staging such matches.

Back then, Barbourfields was given a provisional clearance to host the matches, pending some renovations being undertaken at the stadium, ahead of the start of the 2021 AFCON qualifiers.

But, we believe, this is not the time to keep playing the blame game because it won’t take us anywhere, it won’t help our cause at this juncture and it will simply keep the Warriors homeless while we point fingers at each other.

The last time the country’s senior national football team was forced to play a competitive match on neutral soil was when the Warriors took on the Socceroos of Australia in a ‘70 World Cup qualifier in Mozambique in 1969.

With the Australian Government defiant that it would not issue visas to the then Rhodesian players, in the wake of the fallout sparked by the Unilateral Declaration of Independence, the Rhodesian authorities were given the opportunity to host the match.

However, that also came with complications as the Aussies, if ever they entered Rhodesia, which was being isolated from the world, would encounter serious complications to travel to other countries in the event they won that match and advanced to the next round.

A compromise was then struck by FIFA for the qualifier to be played in Mozambican capital, Maputo, then known as Lourenco Marques.

The Socceroos eventually won the three-match series 3-1 after the first two games ended in draws.

Twenty four years later, the Warriors would again play a World Cup qualifier on neutral soil in the French city of Lyon after FIFA nullified Egypt’s contentious 2-1 win in Cairo, because of crowd disturbances and an attack on the Zimbabwean players and officials.

The Egyptians were also stripped of their rights to host that match and it was moved to France where it ended in a goalless draw with the Warriors booking their place in the final qualifying round for a place at the ‘94 World Cup finals.

Last week, CAF dropped a bombshell when they advised ZIFA to look for a stadium, outside the country, where the Warriors could host the Desert Foxes in their next AFCON finals.

The CAF position was informed by the reality that little, or virtually nothing, had been done to ensure renovations were done, especially at Barbourfields, the stadium which had the best chance of hosting an international match, as per their recommendations in November.

However, we are inspired by the reaction which has seen the Government take a leading role to ensure that our Warriors don’t suffer the humiliation of being forced to play their next AFCON qualifier away from home.

Yesterday, was a huge day towards that cause with a high-powered delegation of more than 30 senior Government, Sports and Recreation Commission and ZIFA officials, led by Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister July Moyo, spending almost four hours at the National Sports Stadium.

Moyo and the delegation, which also included Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Minister, Tinoda Machakaire, permanent secretaries in the two ministries — Zvinechimwe Churu and Thokozile Chitepo — ZIFA boss Felton Kamambo and his crew and Sports Commission director general, Prince Mupazviriho, were at the giant stadium just before 7am yesterday.

Government has also launched a diplomatic offensive and Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation Minister, Kirsty Coventry, who also toured the giant stadium on Friday and spoke to the officials and ZIFA, scheduled to travel to Zurich, after her meetings in Lausanne, to take the matter up with FIFA officials.

This shows that, if united, we can resolve the crisis and persuade CAF to have a change of heart with the Warriors being given the greenlight to host the Desert Foxes at home.

Every national team loves playing at home, before its fans who provide the 12th man to inspire them to do well, and it’s not a coincidence that many of the teams do very well in their backyards.

There is also the issue of the huge costs, which ZIFA will incur, in the event they are forced to take the match away from home, funds which the cash-strapped association would rather use to boost the morale of the players.

Then, more than anything else, there is the issue of national pride which would be severely dented should the Warriors play their matches elsewhere simply because the continental football leaders believe this country doesn’t have stadiums good enough to stage their matches.

This is why we believe everyone should play a role in ensuring our boys play at home and we are charmed by the way an individual, former Premier Soccer League fixtures secretary, Beadle Musa Gwasira, playing a leading role in showing the country that this mission belongs to all of us.

Yesterday, Gwasira bought 100 bags of cement which will today be donated to the Bulawayo City Council for them to use in renovating parts of Barbourfields as per the CAF requirements.

He also bought a refrigerator, which will be put into the doping room at Barbourfields, as per the demands of CAF.

‘‘The whole idea is to show that this country belongs to us and, as a nation, we can achieve a lot if we work together because football is our national sport and we targeted Barbourfields because it’s the stadium with the best chance of hosting the Warriors this month,’’ he said.

If others follow suit, especially with the way Government has taken a leading role, we believe we can keep our Boys at home.