admin
Ellina Mhlanga Harare Bureau
THE Mighty Warriors’ trip to Cote d’Ivoire for the third round Olympic Games qualifier tie on Sunday in Abidjan is hanging in the balance with indications yesterday that Zifa were still to raise money for the trip.
As if that was not enough, the players boycotted their training session yesterday demanding their outstanding allowances for the previous games that they have not been paid.
The players besieged Zifa president Cuthbert Dube as they demanded their allowances as he left a Soccer Coaches of Zimbabwe Union function at Zifa Village.
The team got into camp over the weekend and has been training under the guidance of coach Rosemary Mugadza assisted by Mebelo Njekwa and Yohannes Chikaola.
The association is yet to come up with travelling arrangements for the team and Zifa spokesperson, Xolisani Gwesela, early this week told our sister paper The Herald that they need about $34 000 for team to travel to Western Africa country.
By yesterday there were no specific dates as to when the team is leaving for Cote d’Ivoire. Now that the players have resorted to boycotting training, it means even if Zifa get the money for the trip, it’s not certain if the girls will agree to play without receiving their outstanding dues.
This is not the first time that the financially troubled Zifa have struggled to send a national team for an important assignment as this one.
Recently they were bailed out by the government at the 11th hour when they had failed to raise money for the Warriors’ trip to the Comoros for the Africa Nations Championship soccer qualifiers return leg.
Gwesela yesterday said they were still running around to try and raise the needed money for the women’s team to fulfil their fixture in Abidjan.
“At the moment we are still running around. We will advise you later (on the team’s travelling arrangements).
“The team has to go. We are making efforts, we have approached the government and they are aware of our plight. We submitted our programme for the month of July,” said Gwesela.
Zimbabwe Women Football’s acting chairperson, Elizabeth Langa, shared the same sentiments with Gwesela as she said they were still looking around late yesterday.
“We are running around but at the moment I don’t have anything tangible,” said Langa.
The winners from this round will proceed to the fourth round which is the last round and the two winning teams from there will progress to next year’s Olympic Games to be staged in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Online Reporter