Chronicle Editor
Harare Bureau
ZIMBABWE international and Azam forward Prince Dube is slowly regaining his fitness and recovering after he was sidelined with an injury since September.
The Warriors striker was last night expected to feature in his second match after he played 70 minutes for the first time since his injury on Sunday.
Injuries have stalked Dube who had a brilliant season in the Tanzanian league last season.
Dube was injured in September while on a pre-season tour with Azam in Zambia. He had just completed his rehabilitation before the injury recurred when he started feeling some discomfort and raptured the tendon again.
The Zimbabwean striker went back to Cape Town, South Africa, for surgery to treat a sports hernia injury.
Sports hernias are typically caused by repetitive or explosive motions, especially those sports disciplines that require twisting of the pelvis such as football, hockey, rugby, skiing, running and hurdling.
It appears Dube has fully recovered after he successfully had surgery in Cape Town.
His team is gradually giving him some game-time and he managed to play 70 minutes in the game his team managed a goalless draw against Kagera Sugar at the weekend.
Dube has been struggling with an abdominal ailment since the end of May when he limped off during a league match.
He went on to miss the remaining four games of the season and lost the Golden Boot award to Simba SC striker by one goal.
The recovery of the former Highlanders forward might be a little bit late for consideration by Warriors coach Norman Mapeza who has selected his provisional squad for the Afcon finals.
Zifa have sent out invitational letters to clubs requesting the release of the players ahead of the national team’s training camp which is scheduled to start on December 23.
Mapeza and his backroom staff continue to suffer injury blows by each passing week with Aston Villa midfielder Marvelous Nakamba becoming the latest player to miss the Afcon finals after he limped out with a knee injury in the
57th minute in the match against Liverpool on Saturday.
The Warriors duo of Brendan Galloway and Marshal Munetsi has since been ruled out of the Afcon finals with
injuries.
Yesterday, the Warriors manager, Wellington Mpandare, refused to comment on whether Dube stands a chance to gate-crash into the provisional Afcon squad.
Mpandare, however, said Nakamba’s injury is a blow to the national team.
Nakamba was in-form and enjoying a new lease of life under Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard at his English Premiership side Aston Villa.
“We have been in touch with Nakamba and it’s not looking good at all. We will wait to get the official position from the club.
But his chances are next to nothing,” he said.
The Warriors have received a major boost ahead of the continental showpiece after the Government, through the Sports Commission, undertook to meet all the team’s financial obligations by setting aside a budget of US$800 000.
The money will assist the Zifa secretariat to get the team into camp, cater for the camping costs, travel expenses as well as participation expenses that include allowances and winning bonuses.
The Sports Commission are ready to fork out more should Zimbabwe progress beyond the group stages.
The local sports regulator also hopes that Zifa will use the money wisely unlike the previous edition where national team players had a stand-off with the Zifa board and threatened to boycott the opening match against Egypt.
Sports Commission board chairman, Gerald Mlotshwa, says all hands are on the deck as Zimbabwe make their fifth appearance at the Nations Cup finals.
A proposed budget of US$800 000 and ZWL21 000 000 has been tabled.
“We are confident that the Zifa Secretariat will execute this mandate to the best of their ability. As we rally behind them, we will ensure that their budgetary requirements are met. All hands are on deck.
At this point, the only thing that is to hinder Zimbabwe’s participation at the Afcon 2022 finals is if Fifa suspends Zifa and bars the Warriors from competing.
It’s a reality we are fully aware of, and until we hear otherwise from Fifa or Caf, the Warriors are headed for Cameroon,” said Mlotshwa.
Online Reporter