Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
UMDLALI weHighlanders u-Andrew Mbeba kumele akujabulele ukukhethwa ukuthi abengukaputeni weqembu lelizwe elizadlala kumncintiswano wenkezo yeCosafa.
Uthole kwethenjwa ngumqeqetshi wamaWarriors uMichael Nees, okuveza ukuthi umdlalo wakhe uyabonakala. Umdlali lo uphiwe umthwalo wokuthi akhokhele iqembu eligcwele abafana abasakhulayo, inengi elichinsa ukubizwa kumaWarriors.
Umqhudelwano weCosafa uqalisa ngoLwesithathu ngeviki ezayo edolobheni leBloemfontein, eSouth Africa.
Njengokubika kweZimpapers Sports Hub ngeviki edluleyo, uNees uthe imidlalo yeCosafa izasetshenziswa ukuthi iqembu lelizwe lilungiselele imidlalo ye2028 Olympic Games, ezabe ilequla lama-U-23.
“Lapha kasigijimisi impumela. Umdlalo wethu umkhulu,” kutsho uNees.
Inengi labadlali abenza kuhle kuPremier Soccer League abakhethwangwa njalo uNees uqine ngalabo abancintisa kumidlalo yeCosafa Under-20, lapho iZimbabwe eyafinyelela kuma semi-finals.
Umqeqetshi uchaze kabanzi ngenyathelo lakhe lokukhetha abadlali abasakhulayo, abazalwa ngo-2005 kusiyaphambili. Kodwa iqembu leli lizakhuzwa ngumqeqetshi wama-Under-20 uSimon Marange, encediswa nguJoel Luphahla njengoba uNees ezabe eseMorocco lapho iZimbabwe ezadlala kweyobungane leBurkina Faso leNiger.
“Njengoba lisazi, kunkezo yeCosafa sihlose okubili, okugoqela ukudlala kuhle lokunika abadlali abatsha ithuba lokutshengisa ithalenta labo kwezinye inkundla.
“Kuminyaka edluleyo ukwenza kuhle kweqembu kwakuyikufika kuma semi-final. Ngakho, injongo yokwakha iqembu lakusasa yayingekho. Yikho sitshintshe ukwenza khathesi ukuze sakhe iqembu elizadlala ku2028 Olympics. Nxa ufuna ukunqoba kusigaba lesi, kumele uqale ukulungiselela khathesi. Abadlali abasakhulayo labo bafuna ithuba,” nguNees lo.
Bakhona abasola indlela uNees akhethe ngayo abadlali, bebuza ukuthi kungani etshiye uWashington Navaya, uBilly Veremu, uKundai Benyu loMason Mushore.
Eqenjini kulabadlali abagoqela unozinti uMartin Mapisa, Tinotenda Meke (Simba Bhora), Thando Ngwenya (FC Platinum) loDenzel Mapuwa (GreenFuel). Kulabadlalela phetsheya uKurainashe Musanhi (Crystal Palace), Prosper Padera (SJK Seinajoki, Finland), Menzi Mazwi (Birmingham City), Kennedy Mupomba (Chelmsford FC) loTanaka Cherera (Bury FC).
Umqhudelwano weCosafa uqala mhlaka 4, kusiya ku15 Nhlangula. AmaWarriors afakwe kuqula elileSouth Africa, Mauritius leMozambique.
Iqembu lamaWarriors kuCosafa:
Onozinti: Martin Mapisa (MWOS), Joseph Kaunda (Manica Diamonds), Tatenda Chikohwero (Ngezi Platinum)
Imvimbi: Tashinga Mashonganyika (Ngezi Platinum), Allan Chapinduka (TelOne FC), Simbarashe Takaedza (TelOne FC), Andrew Mbeba (Highlanders), Arter Kaseke (Ngezi Platinum), Kurainashe Musanhi (Crystal Palace)
Abasesiswini: Prosper Padera (SJK Seinajoki, Finland), Menzi Mazwi (Birmingham City, England), Vusa Ngwenya (Dynamos), Junior Makunike (Simba Bhora), Nisbert Muzenda (Ngezi Platinum), Prince Ndlovu (Highlanders), Kennedy Mupomba (Chelmsford FC, England), Calvin Chigara (TelOne FC)
Abagadli: Tinotenda Meke (Simba Bhora), Mafios Chiweta (Highlanders), Tanaka Munemo (Ngezi Platinum), Thando Ngwenya (FC Platinum), Tanaka Cherera (Bury FC, England), Denzel Mapuwa (GreenFuel)
