Warriors stranded

resurfaced for Zimbabwe when the Warriors found themselves stranded in Burundi yesterday.
The Zimbabwe team rejected a sub-standard lodge they had been booked into by their hosts in downtown Bujumbura yesterday.
Zimbabwe face Burundi in a 2013 African Cup of Nations first round, first leg qualifier at the Prince Louis Stadium here on Wednesday afternoon.
But hours after they had touched down at the Bujumbura International Airport at 3pm, the Warriors contingent, led by Zifa vice-president Ndumiso Gumede, got a hint of the problems awaiting them when they found out there was no one from the Burundi Football Federation on hand to welcome them.
Worse was to come when the Warriors delegation was driven to Alexestel hotel — a sub-standard facility in downtown Bujumbura that could hardly pass for a hotel.
Gumede, after consulting coach Rahman Gumbo and his technical team, decided to reject the place               and told their hosts that they would not check into the sub-standard facility.
There was, however, no immediate solution in sight with an official from the host association claiming by 7.30pm last night that they were still making efforts to secure alternative accommodation.
Sources also tipped the Zimbabwe delegation that the Burundi association could have been playing mind games as there a number of good and yet reasonably priced hotels such as the Hotel Diplomat, Star Hotel, Sun Safari, Golf hotel and the Chandelier, where they could have easily been booked into.
While their hosts dragged their feet about finding an alternative place, the Warriors players either sat in the bus or just milled around outside the rejected lodge with such players like eccentric goalkeeper Tapuwa Kapini providing lighter moments with his jokes.
A livid Gumede felt the move by their hosts to book them into a lodge smacked of “the old dirty games that characterised African football’’.
Gumede said he had been surprised by the hostility shown by their hosts ahead of Wednesday’s match.
“I have never been here (in Burundi) but I did not expect this particularly coming after the recent African Cup of Nations tournament which put African football on a high pedestal.
“You cannot tell whether they are playing mind games or they have genuine problems of accommodation but I would like to believe that is it those dirty old games which you often                find in African football where they  try to frustrate the visitors at every turn.
“It’s a pity we do not have an embassy here that could have helped with our problem and with the language barrier it makes it even worse to communicate well.
“But really this is not a hotel at all and for them to even call it a hotel is a misnomer,’’ Gumede said.
Ironically, the new-look Warriors had been given a rousing send-off at the Harare International Airport early yesterday morning with one of their new partners La Chelle Travel providing two limousines taking Gumede, Gumbo and members of the technical team from their team hotel to the airport.
At the airport the senior team was cheered off by a placard-waving group of supporters calling themselves Warriors Friends Club and led by interim president Tendai “T Buns’’ Zhakata, organising secretary Rinos Rambi and Lina Makumbe.
Zhakata, who is also part of the leadership of the Harare Chapter of the FC Platinum fan club, said their objective was to mobilise support for the Warriors whenever they have assignments at home or away.
Coach Gumbo left Harare with 13 players before the veteran pair of Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Tinashe Nengomasha and AmaZulu goalkeeper Kapini joined them at the OR Tambo International airport in Johannesburg .
The FC Platinum coach, taking charge of the Warriors in an interim capacity, is now expecting the trio                 of talisman Knowledge Musona,                  Belgian-based Vusa Nyoni and                Noel Kaseke who plies his trade in Cyprus to join the squad in Bujumbura .
Gumbo looking to balance youth with experience also included former Mamelodi Sundowns captain Esrom Nyandoro in the travelling party that also included Terrence Mandaza, England-based defender Onismor Bhasera, Musa Mguni, Abas Amidu, Marlon Jani and Godfrey Moyo, Archford Gutu and Dynamos midfielder Denver Mukamba.
Warriors Team
Tapuwa Kapini, Marlon Jani, Tapiwa Khumbuyani, Noel Kaseke, Arnold Chaka, Godfrey Moyo, Vusa Nyoni, Onismor Bhasera, Mandla Sibanda, Esrom Nyandoro, Tinashe Nengomasha, Charles Sibanda, Archieford Gutu, Denver Mukamba, Abbas Amidu, Musa Mguni, Terrence Mandaza, Knowledge Musona.