H Metro

WHY ARE WE DESTROYING OUR WARRIOR?

- Sports Reporter

WHAT are they really smoking at ZIFA that they can decide to leave Jordan Zemura, one of our best five players, out of the Warriors squad set to play two FIFA World Cup qualifiers next month in South Africa?

Maybe, that is what you get when you let people, who are not good enough to coach Division Two clubs, suddenly giving themselves the privilege to select players for the national team.

This primitive arrangemen­t that some ZIFA technical committee members, who will probably come last in interviews if they applied to get the job to coach Karoi United, can choose the players who should play for the Warriors, is just not right.

This should have been left for the coach, whoever they want to guide the team, and that they haven’t done so, with just a few weeks left before the two matches, highlights the mess they have created.

How embarrassi­ng is it that Lesotho coach, Leslie Notsi, has named a 23-man provisiona­l squad for the World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe while the Warriors do not know who will be coaching them in that match?

Last week, Bafana Bafana coach, Hugo Broos, released a 36-man short-list ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against

Nigeria and Zimbabwe.

Yesterday, another bombshell was dropped when Zimpapers Sport found out that Zemura, who sparked controvers­y the last time the Warriors were in action at the Four Nations tournament in Malawi, had been left out of the squad.

It was revealed yesterday that ZIFA have already sent invitation letters to the foreign-based players they want for the two matches but Zemura had been left out.

The majority of players, who were contacted by Zimpapers Sport, acknowledg­ed receipt of the letters.

They also revealed a gag order has been issued on them until a new coach is named.

“We received our invitation letters for the World Cup qualifiers about two weeks ago, but we have been told to keep quiet until a new coach is announced,” said one of the foreign-based players.

A source close to Zemura said the Udinese player is yet to receive his invitation letter.

“He is yet to get his letter. Other foreign-based players have already received their letters for the World Cup qualifiers, but Zemura is yet to get his.

“He is fit and we feel that after his complaints against Warriors coach, he has been left out of the squad.”

 ?? ?? Jordan Zemura*
Jordan Zemura*

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