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Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
THE Warriors are still looking forward to a change of heart by Khama Billiat that might see the Kaizer Chiefs talisman returning to the team ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations early next year.
Biliiat had indicated that he is retiring from international football but the national team technical department felt he is still needed and opened negotiations with the South Africa-based forward.
In an interview on the sidelines of Manicaland Juniors of Excellence (MAJESA) awards ceremony at a local hotel in Mutare today, national teams general manager Wellington Mpandare said: “We are still hopeful that Khama Billiat will be part of the squad for AFCON. Yes, we omitted his name in the squad that was announced but remember he was part of the initial 40 member squad that was submitted to CAF earlier so he is already registered.
“We could not go and talk to him as we had planned because of the bubble concept. His team is in a bubble as per Covid-19 regulation so it would not have been proper for us to go down to South Africa and try to breach that. We will certainly be meeting him soon and finalise his inclusion.”
Zimbabwe are preparing for a third consecutive appearance at the continental football showpiece albeit off the field politics that have seen the country’s sports regulatory body, the Sports and Recreation Commission, suspending the Zifa executive and replaced it with an interim Restructuring Committee have taken centre stage.
Fifa yesterday responded by giving a January 3 ultimatum for the SRC to restore the previous administrative status quo or face exclusion from the global football family.
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