Footballer controversially left out of Team Zim
A BULAWAYO-BASED young woman footballer was left in tears after being controversially left out of the Zimbabwe squad for the African Union Sports Council Region Five Under-20 Youth Games that get underway in Gaborone, Botswana, today.
Beauty Mukara, who plays for Hearts of Oak in the city, was named among the 18 players by coach, Langton Giwa, but she was never called into camp.
Team Zimbabwe head of marketing Fungai Zinatsa said the onus was on Mukara to call team management to inquire about the camping itinerary after seeing her name in the media despite her not receiving any official communication.
“So she wanted us to call her? She could have called to check as well, but nonetheless it was unfortunate,” said Zinatsa when asked how Mukara had been left out of the travelling party.
The Zimbabwe squad for the Games left the country on Tuesday.
A Sports and Recreation Commission official expressed shock at the development, which he said would be investigated and addressed as it could mean the country sent weak sides to the games.
“It’s clear that someone did not do his or her job. The team manager is the one that gets in touch with all players that would have been identified by the coaches and it’s clear in this case that did not happen.
“How do they expect the poor girl to be calling about a national team assignment, and besides whom will she be calling?
“Do sports associations use the media to call players into camp, certainly not,” said the SRC official.
So distraught was Mukara that she could only say akulandaba when told that the team was already on its way to Gaborone.
In the last AUSC Games in Luanda, Angola, Zimbabwe performed dismally in women’s football, with the team failing to make it beyond the group stages.
Sporting disciplines such as athletics and athletics for the visually impaired have over the years contributed to the country’s medal hauls.