Online Reporter
Curtworth Masango
Zimpapers Sports Hub
SIMBA Bhora attacking midfielder Emmanuel Ziocha is faced with a make-or-break situation.
He is part of the provisional squad that started training indoors ahead of the AFCON finals in Morocco in December.
Coach Marian Marinica has said those that fit his system and have thequalities he is looking for will make it to the final squad that will also include foreign-based players.
Ziocha, who had a great 2025 Castle Lager Premiership season, as supported by numbers, was overlooked by former coach Michael Nees.
“All successful football teams are built on creative players and it should also be our case,” said Clinton Matiza a football analyst.
“And one of those creative players is Ziocha. He has continually shown his creative prowess.
“It’s exciting how Marinica seeks to give new boys a chance to show themselves. There is always need to balance guys with experience and those upcoming to strike a balance within the team.
“It’s surprising that in the past a technical player like Ziocha couldn’t make it even in the COSAFA squad.
“So this move by the coach will open doors for all prospects, and exciting times lie ahead,” said Matiza.
Ziocha had a decent season, registering 14 assists and four goals. He is also tipped as one of the favourites to clinch the 2025 Soccer Star of the Year at an awards ceremony slated for Friday.
Back in 2024, when Ziocha was still with Dynamos under Lloyd Chigowe, the player had also done enough to attract attention from national team selectors.
“Ziocha is a player who has the technical ability to play in any team and everywhere he goes. He is one player who deserves to be part of the national team, and if he remains focused, one day he will receive his call.
“He has been a key pillar in this Dynamos set-up and his technical ability is what many coaches are looking for,” said Chigowe back then.
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