Valinhos spells end of Ndlovu's international career

Valinhos spells end of Ndlovu's international career

DONE DEAL: New coach Jose Valinhos signs deal in Harare last Wednesday as ZIFA chairman Wellington Nyatanga (left) looks on

FLYING ELEPHANT: Ndlovu dropped by new coach

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By Nkanyiso Moyo

PETER Ndlovu’s international career was in limbo on Monday after new national soccer team coach, Brazilian Jose Claudinei Georgini Valinhos, left him out of his 25-man squad to play in a proposed friendly match in February.

Former skipper Ndlovu, capped 100 times by Zimbabwe since 1991, turns 35 on February 25 and may have played his last match for his country.

The former Highlanders (Zimbabwe) Coventry City, Birmingham City, Huddersfield and Sheffield United (all England) striker has bagged four goals for Sundowns in the current South African Premier Soccer League season after a slow start.

There is also no place in the team for defender Dickson Choto and Kaizer Chiefs midfielder, Tinashe Nengomasha.

Valinhos and his assistants, David Mandigora and Brenna Msiska have identified five teams that they would like to play friendlies with in preparation for the Warriors’ 2010 World Cup and African Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The coaches want ZIFA to organise friendlies against Egypt, Burkina Faso, Botswana, Tanzania, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Valinhos will watch two of Zimbabwe’s opponents in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifiers -- Guinea and Namibia – at the AFCON finals which start in Accra, Ghana, on Saturday. The fourth team in Group 2 is Kenya.

Making a return to the team after being snubbed by former coach Charles Mhlauri is Cyprus-based striker Musa Mguni, who last played under Rahman Gumbo in the 2-1 win over Rwanda in 2004 and Ralph Matema, who has played in the COSAFA Cup, and is now at Orlando Pirates in South Africa.

The Belgian based trio of Cephas Chimedza, Honour Gombami and Vusa Nyoni have been called up, although it is the last two that are on top of their game. Nyoni and Gombami turn out for Cercle Brugge who are third in the Belgian league, while Chimedza’s Sint Truiden is languishing in 16th place on the 18-team league.

There were no surprises in the team, with regular goalkeepers Tapuwa Kapini, Washington Arubi and Tafadzwa Dube all getting call-ups, together with Cyprus-based Noel Kaseke, Gilbert Banda, Method Mwanjali, skipper Benjani Mwaruwari and Sundowns hardman Esrom Nyandoro.

The coach also went for the youth, promoting Under 23 stars Kingstone Nkatha, Obadiah Tarumbwa, Costa Nhamoinesu, Onisimor Bhasera and Lionel Mtizwa into the senior national team, although all have had a dance or two with the senior team in the past.

Zimbabwe begins its campaign for a maiden appearance at the 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations with an away tie against Guinea on the weekend of May 31 to June 2. If Zimbabwe top Group 2, they will go through to the next phase of the qualifiers where 20 teams will be drawn into five groups of four each.

The draw was conducted on November 20 in Durban, South Africa, the first African host nation for FIFA World Cup.

After the away trip to Guinea, Zimbabwe will face the Brave Warriors of Namibia in Harare on the weekend of 6-7 June.

Two weeks later, on June 16-18, the Warriors will be off to Nairobi, Kenya, before playing the return leg of that fixture in Harare a week later. July and August are set aside for international friendlies, with international matches resuming on the weekend of 6-8 September. The Warriors will be away to Namibia.

The last match will be a 17-19 October clash against Guinea at home.

Squad:
Goalkeepers: Tapuwa Kapini, Washington Arubi, Tafadzwa Dube

Defenders: Method Mwanjali, Noel Kaseke, Onisimor Bhasera, Costa Nhamoinesu, Zvenyika Makonese, Thomas Sweswe, Gilbert Banda, James Matola

Midfielders: Esrom Nyandoro, Mtshumayeli Moyo, Clemence Matawu, Edward Sadomba, Honour Gombami, Justice Majabvi, Cephas Chimedza, Vusa Nyoni, Lionel Mtizwa

Strikers: Benjani Mwaruwari, Kingstone Nkatha, Musa Mguni, Obadiah Tarumbwa, Ralph Matema
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