Highlanders refuse to release players for national team

Highlanders refuse to release players for national team

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By Mutongi Gava

HIGHLANDERS were at the centre of a new club versus country row on Monday after blocking their players from travelling to South Africa where the Warriors were due to play Bafana Bafana on Tuesday night.

Intriguingly, Highlanders chairman Ernest Sibanda is also the Zimbabwe national soccer team manager.

Highlanders players Washington Arubi, Zephaniah Ngodzo and skipper Gilbert Banda had all earned call-ups by national soccer team coach Jose Valinhos.

But when the squad assembled at the Zimbabwe FA offices in Harare before departure on Monday, the three players were all missing.

ZIFA chief executive officer Henrietta Rushwaya said she would not be commenting on the development, but assistant manager, Charles Dzvairo, confirmed Highlanders had not sent their players to Harare.

Dzvairo said: "Highlanders players did not come. We are still to find out from them on why they did not come. Maybe they have a genuine reason.”

The club versus country row has been festering for weeks after Highlanders reacted with fury to a midweek Warriors training camp organised by ZIFA last month – forcing them to train without the bulk of their squad ahead of the Nestle Charity Shield final clash with Dynamos.

Highlanders lost that final match 1-0, and 2-1 on aggregate, forcing their technical manager, Methembe Ndlovu, to take aim at ZIFA.

Ndlovu blasted: “Our preparations have been helter-skelter because seven of our regulars were in Harare for the Warriors training camp. We did not work as a group because of the poor preparations by ZIFA.

“The days spent by our players at the training camp are not on the FIFA calendar, but Zimbabwe being Zimbabwe, we had to let our players go. It has affected our preparations.”

Highlanders, champions two years ago, play Njube Sundowns in their opening fixture of the 2008 Premier Soccer League season on Sunday.
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