Soccer agents have no hand in Warriors selection

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
WARRIORS coach Zdravko Logaruši is today expected to announce the squad that goes into camp on Monday to start preparations for the 2021 Cosafa Cup edition that kicks off next month in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa.

The provisional squad Loga announces will most definitely ruffle feathers as some critics will feel that certain players have been overlooked.

Selecting a national team has never been an easy job, with accusations that agents usually connive with coaches to pick their players ahead of deserving ones.

Although these accusations have never been proved, word is that agents will be wanting their players to accumulate national team caps to enhance their chances of moving to better paying leagues, and this has compromised the team’s performances.

Experienced sports administrator Stanley Mutoya, chief executive officer of the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games, warned that unfair selection of athletes affects national team performances.

“A lot of times the desire to sell athletes has seen the composition of our national teams being compromised, as certain athletes are being shepherded into the market with a carrot to be sold in Europe. Ultimately, the quality of our national teams is heavily compromised. A selection policy needs to be really considered and if in place, be reviewed,” said Mutoya.

In December last year, Loga faced a lot of criticism for the squad he called up for the African Nations Championship (Chan) finals, with players like defensive midfielder Nqobizitha Masuku and left-back Xolani Ndlovu, who had played well in the qualifiers being left out of the trip to Cameroon.

Then, Loga relied on his assistants Tonderai Ndiraya and Lloyd Chitembwe to advise him on local players, as he had not seen any of them in action due to Covid-19.

But for the Cosafa Cup, Loga has no excuse to overlook deserving locally-based players since they have been active in the Chibuku Super Cup.

The Warriors coach said he will use the Cosafa Cup to have a look at some potential Warriors’ players.

“We are using this tournament to try to make our squad stronger for World Cup qualification and Afcon tournament. We will give chances to players showing potential to become future stars and those who didn’t get minutes during Afcon qualifiers,” said Logaruši?

The remodeled Chibuku Super Cup has presented local players an opportunity to charm Logaruši? and the hope is that a fair selection procession of the Cosafa Cup squad will be followed, the technical team would have watched matches at the different venues and not just in Harare only.

Ndiraya and Chitembwe are based in Harare and had first hand contact with Pool A matches that were played at the National Sports Stadium involving Caps United, Dynamos, Harare City, Herentals, Yadah and ZPC Kariba.

Matches at Bulawayo’s Barbourfields, involving Bulawayo Chiefs, Bulawayo City, Chicken Inn and Highlanders, Pool C games at Sakubva in Mutare and Pool D encounters in Zvishavane were all being livestreamed.

So, when Loga announces his squad that already has United States of America-based midfielder Nyasha Dube and striker Knox Mutizwa, who plays for Golden Arrows, the nation’s hopes are that deserving local players will not be overlooked. — @ZililoR