dyton mupawaenda
Bruce Chikuni-Sports Reporter
WARRIORS and Kaizer Chiefs legend, Willard Katsande, feels that justice was not served to Ngezi Platinum Stars in the recently announced Warriors provisional squad.
Baltemar Brito’s Warriors are expected to begin their World Cup bid when they face Rwanda (away) on November 15.
They will then host Nigeria in the same country four days later.
Katsande was surprised that Brito completely ignored Ngezi Platinum Stars players and some promising talents in the country.
Takanaka Shandirwa, Frank Makarati (Dynamos), Andrew Mbeba, Peter Muduhwa, (Highlanders) Walter Musona, Brian Banda, (FC Platinum) Donovan Bernard, (Chicken Inn) and Obriel Chirinda (Bulawayo Chiefs) are the only local players who were picked in this provisional squad.
Chibuku Super Cup finalists Ngezi Platinum are in charge of the Castle Lager Premiership proceedings, sitting seven points clear with five games left in the campaign. Katsande argues that omitting Ngezi players, who have caged Dynamos, FC Platinum, Highlanders and CAPS United in the championship marathon is confirmation that the Castle Lager Premiership is being undervalued.
Katsande told Zimpapers Sports that he also expected Dynamos’ leading goal scorer, Donald Mudadi, the only anchorman who has netted five times in the domestic league, to be part and parcel of Brito’s squad.
“I still need to be educated on the criteria of how these players were selected, and it just doesn’t sound right that Ngezi Platinum have no single player in this provisional squad.
“I don’t think such a thing can happen to any country that is serious about its own football because this is why you find the Bafana Bafana coach picking at least seven players from Mamelodi Sundowns.
“Nelson Chadya won the Golden Glove last season and he is on course to win it again this season, but he is deemed not good enough. It tells you something.
“I have been following Donald Mudadi since the start of the season, and it’s never easy to score regularly for Dynamos, let alone being their top goal scorer. I feel he is one player who must be more disappointed for being excluded,” said Katsande.
Katsande also questioned the exclusion of Golden Arrow’s man-of-the-moment, Knox Mutizwa, and Polokwane City’s forward, Douglas Mapfumo.
The Legends Academy graduate Mapfumo, who is just 19, has also scored the same number of goals as Mutizwa but has registered five assists. “I think many people in South Africa are probably laughing at us because of how we are treating Mutizwa. We need him in our squad; we all know what he brings to the table, and it’s not a fluke that he is Arrows’ all-time scorer.
“I was also discussing Mapfumo. He is loved here in South Africa; I’m always asked about him, and I don’t know what to explain when he is not even recognised in Zimbabwe.
“South Africa picks the majority of their players from the DSTV Premiership, and that’s the same league in which Mutizwa and Mapfumo are showing their class,” he said.
Online Reporter