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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
LOCALLY-based Zimbabwe senior men’s national football team players and coaching staff are expected to fly to Djibouti today where they will link up with the foreign legion for a 2022 World Cup Qualifier on Thursday.
Newly-appointed national team coach Joey Antipas named six locally-based players, Chapungu goalkeeper Talbert Shumba, the Highlanders’ defensive pair of McClive Phiri and Peter Muduhwa, the Chicken Inn midfield duo of Tichaona Chipunza and Sipho Ndlovu as well as Caps United’s Phineas Bamusi.
Zimbabwe, who are ranked 112th in the world, will face Somalia for the first-leg on Thursday, with the return leg set for Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday.
“The foreign-based players will fly direct from their bases to Djibouti tomorrow. They will meet with the locally-based guys there,” said Xolisani Gwesela, the Zifa communications manager.
Training once is not what Antipas had wanted for his first national team assignment, but the Chicken Inn gaffer is optimistic that the players will get a positive result.
“We will have to do with what is at hand. Ideally, three or more days would have been good for us to prepare, but there’s no time and we have to hope for positive results. The good thing is that all the players we’ve named are regulars at their clubs, and that should count for something. We just have to get our game plan and tactics right,” said Antipas.
He’s not reading much into the Fifa rankings.
“I know little about Somalia; they are ranked way lower than us, but in football there are no lightweights and you can’t take teams for granted. We have to be mentally upright so that we kick-off our campaign on the right path,” Antipas said.
For the World Cup qualifier, Antipas dropped skipper Knowledge Musona, his deputy Ovidy Karuru, winger Talent Chawapiwa, defensive midfielder Danny Phiri, leftback Ronald Pfumbidzai as well as goalkeepers George Chigova and Edmore Sibanda, who were part of the disgraced Afcon squad.
Baroka shot stopper Elvis Chipezeze, who has been in top form for his club, Turkey-based centre-back Teenage Hadebe, Alec Mudimu from Welsh side CEFN Druids and Devine Lunga of Golden Arrows have been included in the squad that travels to Djibouti.
Kaizer Chiefs’ poster boy Khama Billiat, Thabani Kamusoko of Zambia’s Zesco United, the SuperSport United pair of Kuda Mahachi and Evans Rusike, France-based striker Tino Kadewere, Admiral Muskwe of Leicester City, Clive Augusto, who joined Maritzburg United from Chicken Inn last month, and Bidvest Wits’ Terrence Dzukamanja complete the Warriors squad.
Warriors squad
Goalkeepers: Elvis Chipezeze (Baroka) Talbert Shumba (Chapungu).
Defenders: Teenage Hadebe (Yeni Malatyaspor) Macclive Phiri (Highlanders) Peter Muduwa (Highlanders) Alec Mudimu (CEFN Druids AFC) Divine Lunga (Lamontville Golden Arrows).
Midfielders: Marshall Munetsi (Stade de Reims) Thabani Kamusoko (Zesco United) Kudakwashe Mahachi (SuperSport United) Tichaona Chipunza (Chicken Inn) Phenias Bamusi (Caps United) Khama Billiat (Kaizer Chiefs).
Strikers: Tinotenda Kadewere (Le Havre AC) Clive Augusto (Maritzburg United) Terrence Dzvukamanja (Bidvest Wits) Admiral Muskwe (Leicester City) Evans Rusike (Supersport United). — @ZililoR.
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