Zifa has no money for Warriors friendlies

Zifa has no money for Warriors friendlies

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By Mutongi Gava

THE Warriors will not play any preparatory match on Wednesday after ZIFA failed to secure foreign currency for the team to travel to Lesotho for an international friendly match.

The match was supposed to be part of Zimbabwe’s preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Morocco set for March 24 in Harare.

This means Charles Mhlauri, the national coach will have to depend on watching players on television since the broke national association cannot give him funds to travel to South Africa and Europe to assess the players.

This also means that in future, Zimbabwe will be considered as an unreliable opponent who cancel matches at the last minute, leaving the home team
stranded.

Net One, who used to bankroll the Warriors, have turned to the Under 23 side that takes on Cameroon in an Olympic qualifier on Wednesday evening, because there is no foreign currency need for hosting a local game.

The Warriors Fundraising Committee says it will not fund friendly matches.

Gladmore Muzambi, the ZIFA Board member (finance) said there was little the national association could do to make the trip.

“We do not have the finances, we do not have the corporate support. So we cannot make the trip, although obviously it affects the technical department’s plans,” he said.

Warriors manager Ernest Sibanda was disappointed: “We should have made the trip had there be good planning on the part of ZIFA.

“In this age, you cannot confirm a match just 48 hours before it is supposed to take place and you are supposed to travel.”

Mhlauri had called 19 players, including captain Benjani Mwaruwari from Portsmouth in England, Vusa Nyoni and Cephas Chimedza from Belgium and Dickson Choto from Poland. The rest of the players were coming from the local league and South Africa.
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