Loga pleads for release of French duo
THE Warriors technical team are working to persuade French clubs Olympique Lyonnais and Stade Reims for the release of Tino Kadewere and Marshall Munetsi for the crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers later this month.
THE Warriors technical team is pleading with French clubs Olympique Lyonnais and Stade Reims for the release of Tino Kadewere (pictured) and Marshall Munetsi for the crucial Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers later this month.
Warriors travel to Botswana on March 25 for the penultimate Group H qualifier before concluding their qualification campaign with a home fixture against Zambia four days later.
The Zdravko Logarušić-coached squad needs at least four points from the two fixtures to book its ticket to the Afcon finals set for Cameroon in January next year. However, the build-up to the fixtures has been unkind for the Croat following the withdrawal of most Europebased stars due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Kadewere’s Lyonnais last week alerted Zifa that they will not release the striker who will need to isolate for six days on return to France.
Reims are yet to respond to Zifa’s request for Munetsi who also missed the Warriors’ back-to-back clashes against Algeria in November because of an injury.
But the Warriors technical team has decided to take a proactive decision to persuade both Reims and Lyonnais for the two players, both very much central to Zimbabwe’s aspirations of an immediate return to the Afcon finals. “Hope is still there,” Warriors manager Wellington Mupandare said yesterday. “There are negotiations going on. There is a chance we might have them both. The negotiations are complex because of the COVID-19 situation but we are hopeful,” he added.
There is no hope though for the six United Kingdom-based Warriors stars including regulars Marvelous Nakamba and Tendayi Darikwa to feature in the two fixtures.
“We have moved on,” Mupandare said.
Their clubs have blocked them from travelling to Zimbabwe because of the tough COVID-19 regulations that have been enforced by the island nation on travellers. UK and other
European nations have red-listed 33 countries which they deem high-risk areas in terms of coronavirus and Zimbabwe is among them.
UK authorities want all those returning from the red-listed countries to be quarantined for 10 days at an airport hotel on their return.
Most clubs have said they are not comfortable with this arrangement as that would mean that their players will miss some league matches if they get quarantined on their return.
Fifa have said clubs are not obliged to release players.
Other UK-based Warriors players affected by the movement restrictions include Jordan Zemura, David Moyo, the returning Admiral Muskwe
and former Everton defender Brendan Galloway.
Logarušić has already called up four replacements following the withdrawal of the UK-based stars. Those who will fill the gaps are Perfect Chikwende, Last Jesi, Kelvin Moyo and Takudzwa Chimwemwe.
Zimbabwe’s first choice central defenders Teenage Hadebe and Alec Mudimu are based in Turkey and their availability is yet to be confirmed.
The good news is that Warriors captain Knowledge Musona, who plays in Belgium has confirmed that he will be available for the two crucial matches. His club KAS Eupen has assured
Zifa that they will release the striker.
United States-based Tatenda Mukuruva and Tendai Jirira are also likely to make the trip back home for the matches.
Zimbabwe are second in Group H with five points, behind log leaders and already qualified Algeria on 10 points.
With the top two teams from each group set to qualify to the Afcon finals, the Warriors will book their ticket if they beat Botswana and Zambia fail to beat Algeria on the same day.
Botswana has four points, while Zambia anchors the group with three points.