Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
SOME Mighty Warriors players have expressed concern over delays in preparation for their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Botswana next month.
The Mighty Warriors are expected to play host to the visitors in the first-leg of the qualifiers on February 18, with the return leg in Gaborone five days later.
Botswana coach Gaolethoo Nkutlwaisang called up 32 players into camp on January 19, a month before the first-leg clash, yet the Mighty Warriors, whose domestic league has not been active for two years, are yet to regroup.
“Every team wants to have the best preparations, but we still don’t even know when we are going into camp. It’s not the best of situations,” said one player on condition of anonymity.
Another player said it was worrying that one of the reasons that led to the suspension of the Zifa executive committee by the Sports and Recreation Commission was failure to address gender imbalances relating to the treatment of female national teams compared to their male counterparts in terms of allowances, upkeep and unfavourable operating conditions, yet the same situation continues to prevail.
“Our counterparts were given everything during their preparations for the Afcon finals in Cameroon.
The Zifa executive committee is on suspension for taking a lackadaisical approach when it comes to women’s football,” she said.
Zifa acting chief executive officer Xolisani Gwesela said the girls will go into camp on February 2, two weeks before the first-leg clash.
The Mighty Warriors thrashed Eswatini 6-1 on aggregate to set up a date with Botswana.
Winners of the two-legged encounters will join 10 other winners at the finals in Morocco from July 2-23.
The tournament doubles up as the African qualifier for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The top four teams at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations will qualify for the World Cup.
Online Reporter