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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
WARRIORS coach Ian “Dibango” Gorowa has been criticised over his selection of Highlanders midfielder, Peter “Rio” Moyo.
Rio has been struggling to get regular game time at the Bulawayo giants. The dreadlocked midfielder has played just 65 of Bosso’s 540 Castle Lager Premiership minutes so far, on both occasions replacing Mthulisi Maphosa.
He first featured in the season opener against Chapungu where he came in the 73rd minute and the 1-1 draw against Hwange after being introduced for an injured Maphosa three minutes before the breather. But Gorowa picked him in his 22-man squad, to face Tanzania in the first leg of the first round of the 2015 Nations Cup in Dar-es-Salaam on May 18.
“While it’s really a coach’s decision, there are key factors that are generally applied when calling up a player. If the answer to the following questions is yes, then all will be okay. Is the player physically fit, is the player technically fit, is the player tactically fit and is the player psychologically fit?” said former national team coach Gibson Homela.
He said there cannot be a “yes” if the said player has not been getting game time at his club.
Said Homela: “You have to look at how many games the player has been involved in and how he has been performing during those games because merely playing does not mean good performance by a player.”
The veteran coach, who is also a member of the Zifa high-performance technical team, said that Gorowa may have based his selection on last year’s performances by Moyo and his great outing at the Chan finals in South Africa in January.
Former Zifa board member, competitions, Benedict “Grinder” Moyo concurred with Homela that game time was an important factor in coming up with a national team.
“Of course game time is important but since I don’t know why he selected the player you are mentioning it will be unfair for me to criticise him. He might have used many considerations. For example, he might believe that his club coach is not utilising the player due to differences in team tactics,” said Moyo, a qualified coach.
He added: “I will give you an example, when I was national team coach in 1998, I called up a then clubless Shepherd Muradzikwa for our game against Namibia. He was named man of the match.”
Warriors manager Sharrif Mussa referred all questions to Gorowa.
“I can’t give you any reasons why he was selected. I was only given a list by the boss who is presently in South Africa. Get hold of him may be he can give you his reasons,” said Mussa.
Dibango was not answering his South African mobile phone.
The 22-man squad, to face Tanzania in the first leg of the first round of the 2015 Nations Cup in Dar-es-Salaam on May 18, is dominated by players plying their trade in the local league.
This has largely been viewed as a precautionary measure by Gorowa as the match falls out of Fifa match date with clubs not obliged to release their players for international duty.
Most European clubs will be rounding up their seasons on the same date that African nations begin their journey to 2015 Afcon Morocco finals.
The team goes into camp on Monday with training starting the following day.
Four players will be axed after Thursday’s afternoon training session.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Washington Arubi (Pretoria University, South Africa), George Chigova (Dynamos), Munyaradzi Diya (Highlanders)
Defenders: Hardlife Zvirekwi, Ronald Pfumbidzai (both Caps United), Partson Jaure, Sydney Linyama (both Dynamos), Milton Ncube (Highlanders), Eric Chipeta (Hwange)
Midfielders: Nqobizitha Masuku (Bantu Rovers), Danny Phiri (Chicken Inn), Stephen Alimenda (Dynamos), Marshal Mudewe (FC Platinum), Talent Chawapiwa (Harare City), Kudakwashe Mahachi, Peter Moyo (both Highlanders), Willard Katsande (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa), Pasca Manhanga (Triangle)
Strikers: Simba Sithole (Ajax Cape Town, South Africa), Cuthbert Malajila (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Tendai Ndoro (Mpumalanga Black Aces, South Africa), Kingstone Nkhatha (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa)
Online Reporter