Let’s spare a thought for Fabisch

Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter

THE 2021 AFCON finals were going to be the icing on the cake for young Jonathan Fabisch, who made his national team debut for Zim­babwe last month.

The 20-year-old is one of the notable omis­sions in the Warriors squad that is set to take part at next month’s AFCON finals in Cameroon.

The midfielder, who is son of former War­riors’ German expatriate coach, Reinhard Fabisch, qualifies to represent Zimbabwe through his mother, Chawada Kachidza-Fa­bisch, a former Zimbabwean athlete.

There was debate about his future with the Zimbabwe senior national team after he failed to honour earlier call-ups but he has since made it clear that his heart lies with the Warriors.

But the Germany-based midfielder is set to miss out on the AFCON jamboree. Not that he was expected to play a key role at the tourna­ment but the stage was going to be crucial to learn and grasp more about the expectations and culture of African football.

Fabisch is regarded as one of the future prospects for the Zimbabwe national football team that is desperately crying out for renewal.

The positive aspect about the AFCON squad, though, is the inclusion of youngsters like Panashe Mutimbanyoka, Bill Antonio, Jordan Zemura, Admiral Muskwe and goalkeeper Martin Mapisa, who represent the future, as most of the players in that squad are now over the hill.

Onismor Bhasera is probably the oldest at 35 years while many are in their late 20s and early 30s.

Khama Billiat, who has had a rewarding dec­ade in the Warriors set up, has since announced his retirement from international football while skipper Knowledge Musona is expected to follow suit after the AFCON tournament in Cameroon.

Zimbabwe need more young players to infuse into the current squad, instead of con­tinuously recycling old players at every stage.

Warriors coach, Norman Mapeza, has been credited for his affinity for young play­ers. Mapeza introduced Billiat and Musona to international football as mere 20-year-olds and they have grown up to become key national team players in the last decade, leading Zimba­bwe to three successive AFCON finals between 2017 and 2021.

He has also demonstrated that by playing the likes of Dynamos schoolboy Bill Anto­nio, who made his international debut at 18, in the World Cup qualifying game against South Africa last month.

Fabisch, who has been sitting on the Warri­ors bench for most of the World Cup qualifying games, got his chance in the final dead rubber against Ethiopia when he made a second half cameo.

“For me, Jona is a good youngster. He just needs time with the national teams but we don’t need to put him under pressure or to put myself under pressure because of these youngsters,” said Mapeza in his verdict after the game against Ethiopia.

“I have worked with them and even when I introduced (Khama Billiat), I didn’t just throw him into the fray. Slowly, starting with five minutes’ intervals, 10 minutes, 15 minutes until he got to play international football. So, it’s the same thing with these guys I called into the national team.”

But the AFCON experience is every Zimba­bwean player’s dream, apart from the World Cup and the Olympics.

Fabisch, who was first called up as an 18-year-old, plays for Hamburger SV II, the reserve team of German association football club Hamburger SV.

They play in the Regionalliga Nord, which is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Lower Saxony, Schle­swig-Holstein, Bremen and Hamburg.

It is one of five leagues at this level, together with the Regionalliga Bayern, Regionalliga Nordost, Regionalliga Südwest and the Region­alliga West.

The 20-year-old has of late been making in-roads into the club’s senior team, which currently plays in the second tier of the Ger­man Bundesliga, after graduating from the Under-17s and Under-19s.

He has also played for the Zimbabwe Under-23 team and there has been a debate in the domestic football circles about his inclusion in the senior national team.

The chance came and Fabisch provided glimpses he can play a role for the Warriors when given the opportunity.

However, he is not exactly the smartest player around but he can use his body to hustle for the ball and play it as well.

Unfortunately, he could not make the cut in the AFCON squad.

“I am gradually introducing these young­sters into the team,” said Mapeza.

“We obviously had to give him (Fabisch) a chance. He is committed and very well focused. He is also a good footballer and he has a lot in terms of potential as well.

“He gave us a good shift. He is a fighter and he hardly loses the ball. But, his introduction should be gradual. We had to give him some minutes and he showed what he is capable of doing.

“He can become a top, top player for us in the future. You guys saw him and it’s up to you to judge. He has the potential and we can bank on him. But what is important is the process, which should be gradual.

“We need to incorporate him into the sys­tem in a gradual manner and, that way, he can learn and eventually become a top player he should be.”

The 20-year-old said his debut for Zimba­bwe was not exactly what he had expected. He believes he can offer more. But for now the AFCON dream will remain a dream.

“I am still learning and I am grateful to the coach for showing faith in me. I hope to keep on learning in the team going forward,” he said soon after he made his Warriors debut.