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Harare Bureau
THE Warriors got a morale booster ahead of their 2014 World Cup qualifer match against Mozambique tomorrow at Rufaro when they got a financial injection of $22 500 in winning bonuses. Zimbabwe senior soccer team received $12 500 from Zifa president Cuthbert Dube for qualifying for the Chan tournament.
They further received $10 000 from businessman Farai Jere.
The cash donation from Dube saw each player and members of the technical team walking away with $400 from the two legged matches against Zambia, an amount of $300 winning bonus for the victory in Ndola. And a further $100 each for the goalless draw against Chipolopolo at Rufaro last month.
There is renewed hope and excitement building within the national team following their qualification for the Chan tournament to be held in South Africa in January.
Warriors coach Ian Gorowa has said that he will use this platform to rebuild the national team.
The gaffer has opted to use local based players for the last World Cup qualifier in which both Zimbabwe and the Mambas are merely playing for pride.
On Tuesday the Warriors will clash with South Africa at Orlando Stadium in Soweto in an international friendly match. However, the coach has opted to use some of the players plying their trade in the South African Premiership for this game.
Yesterday, former Caps United director Jere, who has previously helped national teams, chipped once again with a timely donation.
Jere, who is a football fanatic, has personally travelled with his family to away Chan qualifiers supporting the team.
His donation was forwarded to the Football Trust who manage all the financial transactions for the national teams. The money will finally be given to the players.
Another well-wisher has also donated a vehicle which would be used by Gorowa.
During the presentation of the donation, Dube who has bankrolled the national team from his pocket on numerous occasions, pledged to continue supporting the team.
He said even if he loses the Zifa elections next year, he will continue to assist the team financially.
Dube attacked the social networks for saying bad things about him. He said the networks were criticising his move to finance the national teams with his own money yet there was no corporate sponsorship at times.
“There are those small minds and I don’t think I need to give time to small minds that think I have got an agenda. I have been supporting football in this country for many years. Who doesn’t know Buymore football club here?
“So it is not true that I have got an agenda. What do I get in being Zifa president, if anything I actually lose but I see I am being written on Facebook and so forth.
“I don’t give a damn about that type of thing. I am going to do more. I don’t listen to stupid minds. I will not listen to that because there is an agenda.
“Your president has got the lives of 15 elephants in one. So forget, go and write more and more and I will be pouring more and more to the national team, it’s our national cause and we need to do so.
“There is going to be breaking news next week and those detractors are going to be shell shocked,” said Dube.
The Zifa president said they were hoping that a separate Sports Ministry would be put in place. He revealed that they have been lobbying seriously for the creation of the ministry behind the scenes.
Dube added that they have also organised for the national team which qualified for Chan to be introduced to President Mugabe soon.
Meanwhile, speaking at the same forum, Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze said they had received from Fifa the statements that were written by the 16 former football officials who have been banned.
The mother body is now expected to analyse the statements.
Online Reporter