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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
WARRIORS coach Callisto Pasuwa yesterday scrambled to name a 19-member squad set to jet out tomorrow for a 2017 African Cup of Nations qualifier against Malawi following a pay dispute that threatened the fulfilment of the fixture.
Zifa have not paid Pasuwa for nine months and he had demanded his dues as a condition for assembling a squad for the crucial qualifier at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre on Saturday.
It took the intervention of Zifa vice-president Omega Sibanda and the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Andrew Langa to break the impasse as the Warriors’ now familiar chaos-plagued preparations continued.
Players are expected in camp today and will have a full training session tomorrow followed by another one on Friday at the match venue.
Zimbabwe is in Group L with Swaziland, Guinea and Malawi.
National Under-23 captain Walter Mutasa is part of the nine locally-based players that made Pasuwa’s squad. Chicken Inn skipper Danny “Deco” Phiri, Blessing Moyo of Dynamos, Highlanders’ Teenage Hadebe, Ronald Pfumbidzai (Caps United), Gerald Takwara of Tsholotsho FC and Yadah Gunners’ Justice Jangano also made the cut.
The Warriors’ coach placed his faith in locally-based goalkeepers, calling up How Mine shot stopper Donovan Bernard and Tatenda Mukuruva of Dynamos.
The foreign-based contingent consists of the Netherlands-based Marvelous Nakamba, the Mamelodi Sundowns’ trio of Khama Billiat, Kudakwashe Mahachi and Cuthbert Malajila, Willard Katsande and Matthew Rusike from recently crowned South African champions with Kaizer Chiefs, and Belgium-based Knowledge Musona.
Nyasha Mushekwi, who has been scoring freely in Sweden, and the South African-based duo of Patson Jaure and Eric Chipeta complete the Warriors’ squad.
Pasuwa is expected to forget the hellish conditions he has been subjected to by Zifa and the shambolic preparations to inspire his charges against the unpredictable Malawians.
The former Dynamos coach, who also doubles up as the Under-23 coach, has been working without a contract and was infuriated by his failure to secure an audience with Zifa to sort out his contractual issues upon his return from Swaziland with the Young Warriors.
The Young Warriors knocked Isihlangu out of the Africa Championships qualifiers about a week ago.
Pasuwa has reportedly been using his personal resources to conduct national team business.
Zifa vice-president Sibanda persuaded Pasuwa to pick the squad for Malawi after the coach had told him of his disillusionment with Zifa’s perpetual false promises.
Sibanda apologised for his association’s poor planning that has constantly compromised Zimbabwe’s chances of qualifying for the continental soccer show.
“We apologise to the nation because things should not happen like this. I’m glad that Pasuwa is a committed person who puts his nation first. I had a lengthy chat with him and assured him that we will give him all the support he needs. This contract issue must be dealt with once and for all,” said Sibanda.
“Pasuwa agreed to name his squad and I’m happy to announce that the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture has also promised to assist the team go to Malawi. The government is concerned about the goings on at Zifa based on the evidence of the phone calls we got, but I’m happy to say the team will go and very soon normalcy will return to Zifa,” Sibanda said.
Minister Langa took a swipe at Zifa for playing with people’s emotions.
He said power struggles at Zifa were a reflection of administrative problems caused by serious lack of planning.
“These people should put their differences aside because messing with the national team disturbs Zimbabweans’ lives. Zifa should put its house in order. While they say the challenge is money, I believe their biggest challenge is pathetic organisational planning,” Minister Langa said.
The minister indicated that he spoke to Pasuwa and informed the coach to call him directly should he face any challenges.
He said his Ministry, working with partners, would cater for the national team’s airfares and accommodation in Malawi.
“It will be premature for us to say what my office is doing for the national team but I can assure the nation that the team will fly to Malawi on Thursday. I’ve told Zifa to look into the travelling party’s allowances. As a ministry we are also courting the corporate world to assist,” Minister Langa said.
Zifa are broke but keep alienating potential partners because of poor corporate governance. Potential sponsors cannot pour their funds into an institution without audited accounts.
Sibanda blamed egoistic individuals for problems bedevilling Zifa.
“As Zifa we are to blame for this chaos because we knew that this fixture was coming long back and we can’t put the blame on failure to get money but ourselves.
“The problem is that there are people who are not committed to football, who feel that football belongs in their pockets. People with egos, who don’t want teamwork, should just step aside. Football is a unifier and you can’t have selfish people running it,” said Sibanda.
Although he declined to mention any names, his sentiments appeared to be directed at Zifa president Cuthbert Dube and his trusted lieutenants, board members Tavengwa Hara and Fungai Chihuri, as well as chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze.
Dube, Hara and Chihuri were “ousted” by the Zifa Council last month only for Fifa to intervene arguing that the Zifa constitution had been violated.
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