admin
Bukhosi Mangena Sports Correspondent
THE Zimbabwe senior national rugby team is set to leave for Namibia tomorrow afternoon for the crunch Africa Cup 1A tie against the hosts in Windhoek on Saturday. Winners of this match would be crowned African champions. The Sables’ preparations for the tie have been jeopardised by the Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU)’s failure to put the squad into camp pleading bankruptcy.
Most of the players are training from home except for Scotland-based flanker Andrew Rose, South African-based lock Biselele Tsamala, Royal Mwale, Sanele Sibanda, Charles jiji, Cleopas Makotose and Tatenda Karuru, who are camped at the Zesa Technical Institute.
ZRU chief executive Colleen de Jong told the players at a crisis meeting in Harare on Tuesday that the union was broke and could not afford to arrange a camp or pay them any allowances.
The union even failed to provide lunch or drinking water for the players during training sessions.
Besides Saturday’s clash determining the new African champions, the Sables have a score to settle against the Namibians, who beat them 24-20 in 2014 denying them a place at this year’s World Cup.
Both teams are undefeated in their group going into the Windhoek fixture. Zimbabwe beat Kenya 28-20 and Tunisia 19-8 in Harare.
Sables’ coach Cyprian Mandenge lamented the shoddy preparations, but remained hopeful of securing victory and the African championship.
“We’re leaving on Friday for our match and I promise we’re going to do our level best even though on paper we’re underdogs because of our preparations. We got into camp late because of our tough financial situation,” said Mandenge.
“We were planning to go into camp last week but couldn’t due to various problems. We, however, started our intense routine of training twice or three times a day to make for lost time, but it’s still difficult.”
Mandenge is also sweating over the fitness of Kingsley Lang, who suffered a muscle tear in his thigh.
“We’ve a few injury worries which are minor, except for Lang who tore his muscle yesterday (Tuesday). The physiotherapists are, however, onto him at the moment and we hope he’ll be ready by the time we leave,” he said.
Mandenge will be banking on Kyle De Beer for agility upfront as the Old Georgians’ forward is poised to make his Sables debut after making the final 22-men squad.
Also present for the tie is South African-based skipper Denford Mutamangira.
Sables squad
Denford Mutamangira (captain), Royal Mwale, Brian Makamure, Fortune Chipendu, Biselele Tshamala, Andrew Rose, Lucky Sithole, Kingsley Lang, Charles Jiji, Tichafara Makwanya, Steven Hunduza, Rian O’Neill, Boyd Rouse, Tafadzwa Chitokwindo, Tangai Nemadire, Tatenda Karuru, Tatenda Murwira, Sanele Sibanda, Kyle de Beer, Hilton Mudariki, Lenience Tambwera, Gerald Sibanda
Online Reporter