Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
WARRIORS team manager Wellington Mpandare says they have a contingency plan in place in case foreign/based players are unavailable for their World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Ethiopia early next month.
Zimbabwe are set to host South Africa at the National Sports Stadium on Friday next week and then travel to Ethiopia for a date against the Walya Antelopes Stadium on September 7.
The Warriors technical team is having challenges in getting England-based players after the Premier League said it will not be releasing players to travel to Covid-19 red list countries, which include Zimbabwe.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino on Wednesday opened a window of hope for players to be released after writing to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson asking him to intervene.
Mpandare says they have put in place plan B if they fail to get their desired players.
“It is welcome news that Fifa have also chipped in. It shows that they want the best players to represent their nations. Honestly, Fifa would love to have the top players playing in the competition, which is the whole purpose of it being called the World Cup.
“We have plan B, but we all know that will not be the best. We have players that we have shortlisted and are on standby if we fail to get the players that we want. We will keep our figures crossed that we get the players and so we want to play with our best team so that when we lose there is no excuse that we used a weak team. So, we are happy that Fifa is also pushing,” said Mpandare.
The Warriors could miss Aston Villa’s Marvelous Nakamba, Jordan Zemura (AFC Bournemouth), Tendayi Darikwa (Wigan Athletic), Brendan Galloway, David Moyo (Hamilton Academical), as well as striker Admiral Muskwe should Premier League clubs not budge on releasing players.
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