Hit the road! Warriors off to Malawi by Munorurama Bus

The Warriors, who missed their flight to Malawi on Thursday afternoon, are now set to embark on a road trip to Blantyre to fulfill the African Cup of Nations Group L qualifier.

The players refused to leave their hotel after reaching stand-off with ZIFA over the allowances they were set to receive for the match set for Saturday afternoon at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.

Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela on Friday said the team will depart shortly after taking their breakfast from the lodge where they had put up for the night.

“The team is now set to leave by road soon. They are actually preparing to get on the way,” said Gwesela.

Gwesela said the team will travel by air on their way back since the tickets have already been purchased.

“They will use the return tickets after the game,” said Gwesela.

The trip to Blantyre usual takes about eight hours.

But while Gwesela indicated that the team was set to leave by road, one of the players said they were still not sure of the new travelling arrangements.

The Warriors did not turn up at Harare International Airport as expected, although coach Callisto Pasuwa and ZIFA officials were already at the airport.

ZIFA president Cuthbert Dube and chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze ran around to find a solution to the crisis and a meeting was held at Dube’s house where the football boss met the players.

The players asked for $500 each as match fees and $100 daily allowances, but the association was not prepared to release that much, citing their poor financial position.

About $2 200 that was also released by the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture to pay for the day’s allowances was not handed over to the players.

“We explained all the constraints and what we had in our kitting and the kind of model that we would use in terms of making good whatever we would make available to them.

“And then when leaving for the airport that’s when we heard they were not budging,” said Mashingaidze.

Leader of the Prophetic, Healing and Deliverance Ministry, Walter Magaya later bailed out the team he mobilised $12 000 for the team’s allowances.