In June, as Ghana prepared we went on holiday

Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor

AMID the uproar, provoked by the Warriors’ inactivity in June, ZIFA came out all guns blazing, with a passionate defence of their roadmap of the team’s preparations, for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

FIFA opened a window, for international friendly matches in June, after a big number of the African countries lost their rights to play in their backyard, because of the poor state of their home grounds.

The Covid-19 pandemic, which was also ravaging Africa back then, complicating air travel across the continent, did not help matters.

Most of the African nations took full advantage of the changes, to organise a number of friendly matches, for their teams to prepare for the serious business, of the World Cup qualifiers.

Some of the heavyweights, including Senegal, Algeria and Nigeria even played a series of matches, as they embraced the value which such preparatory matches could add, to their teams. Mozambique, Lesotho, Mauritania, Rwanda, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Eswatini, Guinea, Togo, Niger, the Gambia, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Zambia, Tunisia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cape Verde, Morocco, Ghana, Congo-Brazzaville, Botswana, the Comoros, Seychelles, South Africa, Uganda, Mali, Tanzania, Djibouti, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Benin were some of the African countries in action.

Even lightweights like Somalia, who had been knocked out of the World Cup qualifiers, still took the opportunity to prepare their teams. However, the Warriors were one of the few teams, who were inactive, triggering a furious backlash, from the fans and the media, who felt the senior national team had lost a grand opportunity, to prepare for the World Cup qualifiers. But, ZIFA hit back, at those who were raising concern, especially the media, with a statement in which the association argued the team’s preparations were on course.

“The Zimbabwe Football Association advises all football stakeholders that the Warriors will have adequate preparations for World Cup qualifiers in September, and Africa Cup of Nations finals, early next year,’’ association spokesperson, Xolisani Gwesela, said in a statement, on May 27, this year.

“It is important to remind the media that the earlier decision not to play friendly matches was on the basis that they were close to World Cup qualifiers, which were slated for June 2021.

“The abrupt postponement of matches was too short a notice for us to organise matches, in line with standard operating procedures, during the pandemic.

“We do not have adequate time, at this stage, to agree with other Member Associations for a friendly match, and to get necessary approvals, even if we wanted to play. “The Sport and Recreation Commission requires a 30-day notice, for us to be allowed to organise an international match, while FIFA requires a 21-day notice for us to get authorisation, to organise an international friendly.’’

Then, Gwesela dropped the bomb, highlighting how ZIFA planned to help the team with their preparations.

“The Warriors technical team will use the games at this year’s COSAFA Cup tournament to mould a competitive team, for the September, October and November World Cup qualifiers,’’ he said. “The same World Cup qualifiers will also help the players to gel, and become even more competitive, ahead of the AFCON finals next year.

“The astronomical amounts involved, in organising matches during a pandemic, against the background of funding of national teams (or lack thereof) also forces us to carefully select matches that benefit the team while the association remains sustainable.’’

In sharp contrast, Zimbabwe’s group opponents, in the World Cup qualifiers, Ghana, South Africa and Ethiopia all featured in friendly internationals.

The Black Stars played two matches, against Morocco and Cote d’Ivoire, Bafana Bafana beat the Uganda Cranes 3-2 and Ethiopia featured in two matches, against Sierra Leone and Uganda, in July.

Crucially, three matches into the World Cup qualifiers, only one of the players, who featured at the COSAFA Cup, has featured in the campaign for a place in Qatar next year.

Goalkeeper Washington Arubi is the only player, who was at this year’s regional tournament, who has had a run, in the World Cup qualifiers, after featuring in the 1-3 defeat, in Ghana, on Saturday.

The other goalkeeper, Martin Mapisa, who also was at the COSAFA Cup, is yet to play in the World Cup qualifiers.

It’s also the same story for midfielder Blessing Sarupinda, who was also at the COSAFA Cup, while Perfect Chikwende, who featured for the Warriors on Saturday, withdrew from the regional tournament, on medical grounds.

Virtually all the players at the COSAFA Cup, have not been considered for national duty.

They are Carlos Mavhurume, Andrew Mbeba, Lennox Muchero, MacClive Phiri, Qadr Amini, Malvin Mkolo, Jimmy Dzingai, Patrick Ben Musaka, Tatenda Tavengwa, Shadreck Nyahwa, Brian Banda, King Nadolo, Nyasha Dube, Ovidy Karuru, Richard Hachiro, Farau Matare and Delic Murimba.

Given the association claimed it would be used “to mould a competitive team, for the September, October and November World Cup qualifiers,’’ it reminds us of where we probably got it wrong. The Warriors find themselves with just a point, and a goal, scored from a penalty, in their first three World Cup qualifiers.

Algerian striker, Islam Slimani, has already scored six goals, in the qualifiers, while the Warriors, as a team, have only scored once, from a penalty which was converted by skipper, Knowledge Musona.Even the Central African Republic have scored more goals (2), than the Warriors, while Kenya, Mauritania and Rwanda, who only have a goal to their credit, like Zimbabwe, have already been eliminated, from the qualifiers.