Sundaymail Editor
Langton Nyakwenda
Sports Reporter
SOME members of the history-making Warriors team that clinched Zimbabwe’s maiden ticket to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in 2004 believe the team can progress beyond group stages at next year’s competition if ZIFA puts its house in order.
They emphasised the need for transparency in player selection.
The Warriors were on Tuesday handed a fair draw when they were pooled with Group B seeds — Senegal, Malawi and Guinea.
Having been postponed due to Covid-19, the tournament has now been set for Cameroon from January 9 to February 6, 2022.
Since making their debut in Tunisia in 2004, the Warriors have failed to progress beyond the group stage.
However, there is growing belief skipper Knowledge Musona and his Class of 2021 can finally clear that hurdle in Cameroon.
The Warriors have a talented cast of players who include Aston Villa’s Marvelous Nakamba, Tino Kadewere (Olympic Lyon), Marshal Munetsi (Reims), Teenage Hadebe (Houston Dynamo), Khama Billiat (Kaizer Chiefs), Prince Dube (Azam) and Musona, who is now plying his trade in Saudi Arabia.
Most local fans view 2019 finalists Senegal as the biggest threat to Zimbabwe’s Group B quest.
Guinea have been inconsistent over the years, while COSAFA rivals Malawi are considered fair game.
Former Warriors defender George Mbwando feels the national team has another big challenge.
“The only difficult opponent in our group is ZIFA,” quipped the Germany-based Mbwando.
ZIFA have notoriously come short each time they prepare national teams for major events.
Three years ago, their bungling at AFCON finals in Egypt forced the Warriors to go on strike on the eve of the African football showpiece.
The team eventually bowed out with just a point. Next year, they will open their campaign with a date against Senegal on January 10.
They will then play Malawi on January 14 before facing Guinea four days later.
Transparency in player selection has also come under the spotlight, as there were allegations that some players paid their way into the team.
“The rumours that have been doing rounds about players paying money to be in the team may be true because we have been hearing that for a long time now.
“If the coaches are not the ones picking the team (as alleged), so what’s the use of the coaches . . .
“The problem is there is no transparency in anything, so nothing will come out if there is no order,” said Mbwando, who was part of the historic Warriors squad that made a maiden appearance in 2004 under Sunday “Mhofu” Chidzambwa.
Some believe coach Zdravko “Loga” Logarusic is still being influenced to select certain players.
“I have one big question: Who exactly is selecting our national team players? Is it the team manager, agents or the coach?
“Because, as far as I know, the coach is not well-versed with most of the players,” said Dumisani Mpofu, a former CAPS United and Warriors centre-back.
“Most of the time the coach is away and he is yet to know most of the players. So who exactly is making these call-ups?
“The national team is not for trialists, nor is it a platform for auditions.”
A tough-tackling defender in the 2004 squad, Mpofu, however, feels Zimbabwe can “do better this time”.
“If you look at it (draw), on paper it looks like it’s an easy one, but it’s not. We no longer have small teams. Any team from this group can make it into the last 16.
“We should adequately prepare. We need to start arranging good friendlies with some African giants.
“We also need a nice blend of local and foreign-based players at the AFCON finals, but, sadly, there is no football being played in the country.”
He said the country cannot solely rely on foreign-based players.
“So my wish is to see the football authorities doing all they can to ensure that local football returns. They should encourage all the players to get vaccinated, follow all the protocols then plead with Government.
“If you look at other countries in the region, football is being played and it’s only here in Zimbabwe where nothing is happening. Why? It’s because we are not meeting the protocols and requirements,” added Mpofu.
Ex-Highlanders and Warriors defender Dazzy Kapenya implored ZIFA to start preparations early.
“Now that the wait for the draw is over and we know who we are facing in the group stage, it’s time to start serious preparations.
“I think it’s time the coaches start doing the job of identifying the most probable group of players they are going to work with.
“We have been placed in a fair group and with good preparations and good team selection we stand a great chance of proceeding to the next stage.
“It’s high time Zimbabwe progresses to the knock-out stage of the AFCON finals. We have been at these finals on four occasions and we have failed in all attempts,” said the 2002 Soccer Star of the Year.
Former national team manager Sharif Mussa believes with the right mindset, the Warriors can break their group stage jinx.
He was part of the Warriors cast on three of their four AFCON finals in 2004, 2006 and 2017.
“It’s a good draw for Zimbabwe.
“Remember, to qualify means all teams are good, so Zimbabwe have to prepare thoroughly and properly then hopefully we can go to the next round, at least this time around.
“With the talent we have, we could go all the way, we need just the right mind-set and thorough preparations,” Mussa said.
Loga, who has been on compassionate leave in his native country for the past month, followed the draw from Croatia and has vowed to succeed where his predecessors failed.
But, the 54-year-old coach insists that it would need a united nation for the Warriors to progress.
“I want us to succeed, I want to make football lovers happy. I want us to produce results which we never achieved before.
“We need to be a unit; go together as a unit. The supporters, technical, media, players – together we can create a positive atmosphere, which will give us victory,” Loga said.
Flames demand respect
His Malawian counterpart, Meck Mwase, also sounded bullish soon after the draw on Tuesday night, demanding respect for the Flames.
“There is nothing like a small team at this level. All teams worked hard to qualify for the finals and they will all start the tournament on an equal footing, so it will all depend on the approach in a particular game,” Mwase told CAFOnline.
“It is a draw and that is how it is. We could not have chosen who to meet at the AFCON finals.
“We believe that all teams have a chance to progress. As for us, it would all depend on how we prepare ourselves mentally and physically. All we can do is prepare well for the tournament.
“We believe in our boys that with determination, we can reach the next round,” he said.
Malawi have been to the AFCON finals twice, in 1984 and 2010.
Just like the Warriors, they failed to progress beyond the group stage on both attempts.
However, they brewed a shocker at the 2010 finals when they thumped Algeria 3-0 in their opening match, before losing 0-2 to hosts Angola and 1-3 to Mali.
The Warriors other Group B opponents, Guinea, have reached the quarter-final stage four times in the last two decades, in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2015.
They crashed out in the last 16 at the 2019 finals in Egypt.
Senegal lost the 2019 final against Algeria and have progressed beyond the group stage six times in the last two decades – 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2017 and 2019.
The Lions of Teranga were also losing finalists in 2002 when they lost to Cameroon on penalties.
2022 AFCON Groups:
Group A: Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Cape Verde
Group B: Senegal, Zimbabwe, Guinea, Malawi
Group C: Morocco, Ghana, Comoros, Gabon
Group D: Nigeria, Egypt, Sudan, Guinea-Bissau
Group E: Algeria, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast
Group F: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Gambia
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