The Sunday Mail
Don Makanyanga
Sports Reporter
SINCE his appointment as the Zimbabwe Warriors coach in January last year, Zdravko Logarušic has been a man of many surprises.
He has even divided opinion at every turn with his questionable team selection with eyebrows being raised over his lack of results.
The Croat’s cavalier attitude, when questioned over his tactics or selection, has not helped him win more friends either.
And last week, the 54-yer-old coach, who is back in his native Croatia where he is holed up as he awaits a fresh work permit, named an enlarged 38-man provisional squad for the Warriors’ important 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Botswana and Zambia next month.
Loga said he had picked his side guided by the impact of Covid-19 on international football, where he might struggle to secure the services of some of his European and United States-based stars.
Injuries have stalked the Warriors with the talismanic pair of skipper Knowledge Musona and Khama Billiat yet to be declared fit to play.
As is the case with any national team selection, the debate has been raging over the outlook of the side which Loga wants to have in camp ahead of the must-win battle against the Zebras in Gaborone.
And the biggest question has been . . . Is this really the best the country has to offer, especially given the magnitude of the Warriors’ last two qualifiers, where they cannot afford any slip-up?
Of the 38 players called up for duty, 10 are already in doubt of making it for the qualifiers due to prevailing global travel bans and restrictions imposed by the players’ base countries.
Key midfielder Marshal Munetsi is, just like Musona and, Billiat, nursing an injury.
“We have more than 10 players whose availability is in doubt hence we have had to call up more players in case some test positive for Covid-19 while in camp.
“We will select a team for the game against Botswana leaving some players in the country in case we lose some players before the game against Zambia,” said Loga, as he announced his squad.
Having suffered a similar case last month during the build-up to the African Nations Championship (chan) tournament, the Croat has every reason to err on the side of caution.
But it is in his back-up plan should he fail to get the likes of Marvelous Nakamba, Tendai Darikwa, Musona, Munetsi and Billiat that has raised eyebrows.
Loga has made a U-turn on his policy in which he had insisted that a player’s form would guide his selection.
“You can’t buy me, you can’t bribe me, that means only your job on the field will put you in the team.
“Names don’t play football, players play football,” said Loga.
He, however, appears to have been swayed by the court of public opinion in dropping Baroka FC goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze while retaining the inactive Ariel Sibanda of Highlanders.
There was no room for FC Platinum goalkeeper Petros Mhari nor the resurgent Washington Arubi, who has found his mojo again at South African Premiership debutants Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila.
Apart from form, there is the issue of match fitness.
PERFECT CHIKWENDE
Of all the locally-based contingent, only the FC Platinum players have been regularly active, having just lost out in the CAF Confederation Cup and many had expected the miners to provide the bulk of the squad.
In overlooking the FC Platinum players from the Warriors’ CHAN squad, Loga claimed he wanted them to focus on club duties in the Champions League.
He, however, went against his word when picking just one FC Platinum player, Brian Banda, for the Nations Cup squad where he would need competitive match fitness and experience if the Warriors are to negotiate the hurdles posed by both Botswana and Zambia in the remaining qualifiers.
Loga was not interested in Simba SC newboy Perfect Chikwende despite the striker getting off to a flying start at the Tanzanian giants.
Of the 13 defenders named in the provisional squad, seven are currently plying their trade in countries that have blacklisted Zimbabwe and other Southern African nations in their Covid-19 travel restrictions.
There have been suggestions that technical director Wilson Mutekede would need to have an oversight role and flag where there may be possible transgressions of the ZIFA vision or objectives.
Mutekede, however, insisted that he was not involved with the Warriors selection.
“I am not involved at all. Coaches select their team and may inform or consult the TD if they wish so even the FIFA manual and handbook states so,’’ Mutekede said.
But for many Zimbabweans, the prayers at the moment are that none of the European stars are restricted from travelling for the back-to-back assignments in which a number of permutations could see the Warriors qualify.
Should the Warriors, who are second in Group H with five points, win against Botswana and Zambia lose to Algeria, they would have sealed their qualification with a game to spare.
However, in the event that Loga and his men fall in Gaborone, they would need to beat Chipolopolo at home and hope that Algeria overcome Botswana in Algiers in their final game.
