Cheetahs in Stellenbosch camp ahead of Olympic qualifier

A SQUAD of 14 Zimbabwe national sevens team players is in camp in Stellenbosch, South Africa ahead of the Africa Men’s Sevens.

This year’s Africa Men’s Sevens, taking place at Bosman Stadium on 8 and 9 November is serving as a qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Winners will automatically book a spot in Tokyo while the three runners-up have an opportunity to qualify via the repêchage where they will play against countries from other confederations.

Players have been arriving for the camp since last Wednesday, with centre Shingirai Katsvere the last to make it yesterday.

Cheetahs coach Gilbert Nyamutsamba feels that this is the best possible squad he could come up with given the circumstances.

“Because of the situation we find ourselves in this is the best possible 14 we could put together. I am sure that if we had a number of tournaments and given some new players the needed game exposure, the final 14 would not be the same with what we have now,’’ Nyamutsamba said.

The Cheetahs coach will choose his final squad of 12 from those in camp, which means two players are certain to be heartbroken when the team for the Africa Men’s Sevens is chosen.

In camp are some of the country’s biggest names at the moment in the shortest format of the game. Njabulo Ndlovu is certainly the most experienced player in the squad together with the likes of speedster Tafadzwa Chitokwindo, Riaan O’Neill, Hilton Mudariki, Biselele Tshamala, Ngoni Chibuwe, Kudakwashe Chiwanza and skipper Stephan Hunduza having been around for a long time.

At the last Olympic qualifier also held in Johannesburg in 2015, Zimbabwe were seconds away from booking a place in Rio when they led Kenya 17-14 just before the Kenyans stole it right at the end with a converted try to win it 21-17.

Zimbabwe head into this year’s Africa Men’s Sevens as the defending champions having beaten Kenya 17-5 in last year’s competition staged in Tunisia.

Zimbabwe Cheetahs: Njabulo Ndlovu, Kudakwashe Chiwanza, Tapiwa Tsomondo, Martin Mangongo, Ngoni Chibuwe, Riaan O’Neill, Tafadzwa Chitokwindo, Biselele Tshamala, Hilton Mudariki, Tarisai Mugariri, Stephan Hunduza (captain), Takudzwa Kumadiro, Connor Pritchard, Shingirai Katsvere.

Coach: Gilbert Nyamutsamba. Physiotherapist: Margie Gibson. @Mdawini_29