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Robson Sharuko
Senior Sports Editor
ZDRAVKO LOGARUSIC has been very clear — his first appointment with his Warriors should be a date with the men he will use during the 2021 AFCON and 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
It’s now 10 months since he signed his contract, promising to shame the critics who believe he is just another clown here for the money, and the sunny conditions.
After the nightmare of the 2019 AFCON finals, where the Warriors became something like a joke, with their camp dominated by endless battles for money, Loga came in promising to change all that.
He produced a box-office show, during the ceremony where he was unveiled by ZIFA in January where, for more than an hour, he took on the country’s football media, sparring with those who landed some tough questions, embracing those who warmed up to his charm.
Rather than wilt, under a barrage of questions, the Croat took everything in his stride, speaking with a combination of both arrogance and confidence, he will certainly write a success story with the Warriors.
He insisted his mission was to bring smiles to Zimbabwean football fans, whom he claimed had suffered for a long time, with their team failing to transform its potential into reality.
“Zimbabwe have been to the AFCON, but never to the World Cup,’’ he said.
‘‘At AFCON, I understand, they have not been able to progress past the group stages while they have not been doing well in World Cup qualification.
“I am not coming here as a Messiah, I have something, but I have to take the best from you and put it together to create something nice, that is what is important for me.
“I think I am lucky, maybe God is protecting me, most of the Zimbabwean players are playing competitive football in Europe and in South Africa.
“And, most of them are in the right age to play good football. Now, we have to put together all those things to get nice results and we will do it.
“Give me a bit of time, I am not a magician, I am just a coach, I will do it to make you happy. I will do it for myself as well. I need more success than all of you put together and I am in the right place to make success.’’
Ten months down the line, after a mission which has — just like everything in life — been crippled by Covid-19, Loga will get a chance to take charge of his first Warriors game, in a friendly in Blantyre, against Malawi on Sunday.
But, it looks like, he might not have the manpower that he wanted for such an assignment — the players from Europe who will provide the base for him to build his Warriors when it comes to the AFCON and World Cup qualifiers.
He repeatedly said he wanted just the boys from Europe, for the assignment in Malawi, so that he can take a closer look at them, playing in his preferred format, and also because they are the ones who are in good shape right now.
However, it doesn’t look like he will get his men and, if that happens when he announces his squad today, how will his employers justify why those boys are not going with him to Blantyre?
After all, his opponents on Sunday, paraded their full arsenal of foreign-based players in their friendly international against Zambia yesterday.
The Flames lost that match 0-1.
Chipolopolo are the only African country playing three matches during this FIFA window, after their Serbian coach, Milutin “Micho’’ Sredojevic, demanded he wanted as much time as possible with his players.
They will take on Kenya in Nairobi tomorrow and South Africa in Rustenburg on Sunday.
Zambia are in the same 2021 AFCON qualifying group as the Warriors, Botswana and Algeria’s Desert Foxes.
The Football Association of Malawi were able to fly in Yamikani Chester, from United States Championship club Las Vegas Lights, who was thrown into the starting XI against Chipolopolo.
The Flames also fielded highly-rated Charles Petro, who plays for Moldova side Sherrif Tiraspol, and who is a teammate of Zimbabwe international defender, Alec Mudimu.
In the event Loga doesn’t get Mudimu, for the match against Malawi, how will there be justification that the opponents found a way to bring in Petro but his team failed to secure the defender for assessment? Gabadinho Mhango, who won the South African Premiership Golden Boot last season in the colours of Orlando Pirates, led the attack for the Flames in their match against Chipolopolo yesterday.
The other South Africa-based players, Gerald Phiri (Polokwane City), Richard Mbulu (Baroka) and Denis Chembedzi (Polokwane City) also featured for the Flames yesterday. They also fielded John Banda, the tricky forward from Mozambican side, Uniao Desportivo de Songo.
Against that background, it would be difficult to justify to Loga, in the event his first-choice players do not feature in Sunday’s game, that bringing in his preferred Warriors was an impossible job.
It will also provide the coach with an alibi, in the event he fails when the matches against the Desert Foxes come around next month, because he will simply point to the fact he wasn’t given the preparations he wanted.
Reports from England last night suggested Marvelous Nakamba might be on his way to play in the match against the Flames, which will be a positive development for Loga.
“It’s been three joyous days since Villa walloped Liverpool at Villa Park and, after a couple of days off, it’s back down to work for Dean Smith, his backroom staff and the remaining members of his squad,’’ Ashley Preece, the Birmingham Live reporter who covers Aston Villa, wrote.
“Villa currently have eight first-team stars out on international duty and they are as follows — Jack Grealish and Tyrone Mings with England; Conor Hourihane with Ireland; John McGinn with Scotland; Douglas Luiz and Emi Martinez in South America, and Bertrand Traore and Marvelous Nakamba out in Africa for Burkino Faso and Zimbabwe respectively.
“That means Villa have as many as 17 first-team players back at their Bodymoor Heath base with that number likely to be bulked up for training sessions that will include the Under-23 contingent that featured throughout the first-team pre-season training camp down in south Wales.’’
Online Reporter