adminahead of their weekend first leg of the first round qualifier for the African Under-20 Championship against Botswana at Barbourfields Stadium.
The team had a practice game with Castle Lager Premiership club Chicken Inn and head coach Jairos Tapera who is leading the squad for the first time was confident that they would win on Sunday.
Tapera said he would announce the final 18 at the end of today.
However, the veteran gaffer was not happy with the time he was given to prepare for the encounter.
“Obviously the time we had to prepare for the game was not adequate but I believe these players are capable of seeing us sail through to the next round. We were supposed to have arrived in Bulawayo last Friday but due to logistical problems we couldn’t.
“I had wanted to train at the venue two or three times but now I think it will be just one day. Tomorrow evening we will be announcing our final 18,” said Tapera.
He was also happy with morale in his camp.
Goalkeeper Rodrick Madzongwe, Elvis Moyo, Willard Kalongoda, Nqobizitha Masuku and Kudakwashe Mahachi who have been playing together since as the Under-17s, are expected to make it into the final team.
Botswana were expected to arrive last night in Bulawayo by road and they will start training today.
Tapera will want to see his charges win at Barbourfields Stadium which last played host to a national team in 2010 when South Africa’s Amajita came for a friendly match against the national Under-23 team.
“These boys are motivated and they know what it means to play for the national team. Unlike club competitions where you motivate players with money, donning national team colours can be enough to motivate players. I hope to ride on that at the weekend and possibly win the game,” said Tapera.
Meanwhile, Tapera took a swipe at perpetrators of age-cheating and called for their prosecution.
This was after this reporter had asked him if he was aware that there were some players in his squad who are said to be over aged.
“We do not want players who come in and disappear next year. We should be in a position to monitor the progress of players we have here in the years to come. People who encourage these boys to cheat are killing the development process and should be prosecuted.
“It is difficult for us as coaches to dispute players’ ages,” Tapera said.
The age-cheating problem seems to continue unabated amid revelations that Marshal Marime who is part of the national Under-20 boys’ squad finished his A-levels in 2008.
The player had twice been left out by the former national Under-20 gaffer Taurai Mangwiro according to sources.
He was left out by the Bulawayo selection panel headed by Dumaza Dube who could not reconcile the fact that the boy completed Form Six in 2008 and is still Under-20. This means he could have gone to primary school at the age of two or three years. He spent 13 years at both primary and secondary school and has been out of school for almost four years which takes it to 17 leaving him to have attended Grade One at the age of three which is impossible in Zimbabwe.
The sources said it was disappointing that overaged players were being considered for junior national teams at the expense of youngsters who qualify.
“I know this boy (Marime) was at Pamushana High School doing Advanced Level in 2008. Was he a genius that he went to school at the age of three? Simple logic shows that he spent 13 years at school and if you add the four years after he left Pamushana it comes to 17. Does this mean that he started Grade One at the age of three or four?
“The most disappointing thing is that we talk about development of football at grassroots yet we have some coaches who know that certain players do not deserve to be in junior national teams and go on to use them. That is bad for the growth of football,” said a source.
Chicken Inn for whom the player turns out for said they would investigate the claims as they are for Fair Play.
“We will investigate that but his papers make him eligible. If it’s true he did his A-levels in 2008 we will take it from there and compare with his papers in our custody,” said Lifa Ncube the Chicken Inn chairman yesterday.
Tapera defended his selection and said he was not aware that there were any over-aged players in his squad as they all presented passports that showed that they were eligible for selection.
“I asked them to bring either Grade Seven certificates or passports to verify their ages. Most brought passports which is a legal document and who am I to query that?” Tapera said.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Rodrick Madzongwe, Tonderai Mateyaunga
Defenders: Elvis Moyo, Calvin Moyo, Admire Dzumbunu, Liberty Chakoroma, Vincent Mbira, Nqobizitha Masuku, Lawrence Mhlanga, Willard Kalongoda
Midfielders: Farai Madora, Edmore Tsoro, Tatenda Dzumbunu, Munya Chiwara, Tino Muswe, Chrispen Ncube, Kudakwashe Mahachi, Elton Dzinondiro
Strikers: Mike Ngwenya, Farai Mupasiri, Marshal Marime, Mgcini Sibanda, Tatenda Munapi.
Online Reporter