admin
Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
THE final 23-man senior national soccer team squad for the African Nations Championship (Chan) in South Africa has been named with four players being axed. The Warriors are in Group B which also includes Burkina Faso, Uganda and Morocco and will be based at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa for the tournament which runs from January 11 to February 1, 2014
According to sources within the national team, Ian Gorowa wielded the axe on Frankson Bushiri of Shabanie Mine, goalkeeper Maxwell Nyamupanedengu of Harare City and the Black Rhinos duo of Wonder Kapinda and Lot Chungwa.
There are no surprise inclusions in the Warriors’ squad.
It seems Gorowa decided to keep the bulk of the players that were influential in the team’s campaign for South Africa.
His work was made easy following the withdrawal from camp of Harare City’s star Silas Songani who left for trials in Denmark and Misheck Mburayi who is trying his luck in Cyprus.
The unavailability of the two attacking players left Gorowa with a squad of 27 players resulting in him wielding the axe on the quartet of Nyamupanedengu, Bushiri, Chungwa and Kapinda.
“The coach has already left for South Africa to spend the New Year there and the guys who were dropped are Bushiri, Max (Nyamupanedengu), Chungwa and Kapinda. We will be coming back on Friday to have an afternoon session,” said the source.
Gorowa named a fairly balanced squad for Chan with Premiership champions Dynamos having seven players that is goalkeeper George Chigova who will battle for a starting place with Highlanders’ Munyaradzi Diya and Tafadzwa Dube of Caps United.
DeMbare also have defensive rock Patson Jaure who has been given the captain’s armband, left back Augustine Mbara, Oscar Machapa, newly acquired Themba Ndlovu who is joining the Harare giants from Buffaloes, Premiership Soccer Star of the Year Tawanda Muparati and striker Simba Sithole.
The Dynamos players will miss the better part of their team’s preparations for the Caf Champions League.
Highlanders’ out of contract quartet of Diya, Milton Ncube, Peter “Rio” Moyo and Masimba Mambare are part of the team that will travel to South Africa and so is Caps United’s duo of goalkeeper Dube and Hardlife Zvirekwi.
Most sought after Hwange defender Eric Chipeta also made it into the squad. The big central defender who is reportedly being followed by Highlanders and Dynamos has also been linked with a possible move to South Africa and is among some of the players within the national team who may not return after Chan.
The only surprise face in the last 23 is Pasca Manhanga of Triangle who made his Warriors debut when Zimbabwe played Mozambique in an international friendly at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo.
Fast-foods outlets sponsored Chicken Inn have three players – Kudakwashe Mahachi, defensive midfielder Danny “Deco” Phiri and defender Felix Chindungwe while Charles Sibanda whose contract with FC Platinum expired yesterday, Ali Sadiki and Nelson Maziwisa are the three players who were called while turning out for the Zvishavane club.
Samba Sithole of How Mine completes the squad that will represent the nation in the continental competition meant for players plying their trade in their home countries.
Warriors’ manager Sharrif Mussa confirmed that they had axed some of the players from camp but could not be drawn into revealing their names.
“We are done with the squad but there are a few deliberations that we are doing and we will make the squad public tomorrow,” said Mussa.
Warriors Final Squad
Goalkeeper: George Chigova (Dynamos), Munyaradzi Diya (Highlanders), Tafadzwa Dube (Caps United)
Defenders: Augustine Mbara (Dynamos), Hardlife Zvirekwi (Caps United), Oscar Machapa (Dynamos), Felix Chindungwe (Chicken Inn), Themba Ndlovu (Dynamos), Erick Chipeta (Hwange), Patson Jaure (Dynamos, captain)
Midfielders: Milton Ncube (Highlanders), Pasca Manhanga (Triangle), Peter Moyo (Highlanders) Danny Phiri (Chicken Inn), Tawanda Muparati (Dynamos), Masimba Mambare (Highlanders), Ali Sadiki (FC Platinum), Kudakwashe Mahachi (Chicken Inn)
Online Reporter