Warriors leave for Kampala . . . suffer Galloway injury

Langton Nyakwenda

NEWLY APPOINTED Zimbabwe national team coach, Michael Nees, will have his first face-to-face meeting with his players in Kampala tomorrow night, after which he conducts his maiden training session in the Ugandan capital on Tuesday.

Local-based players are set to leave Harare for Kampala later today and will connect with the foreign contingent in Kampala.

Nees, a German coach who has promised to change the Warriors’ fortunes, will take charge of his first match on Friday, when Zimbabwe play Kenya in a 2025 African Cup of Nations qualifier at the Mandela National Stadium.

The Harambe Stars of Kenya are using the Kampala venue because their local stadiums are undergoing massive renovations.

Zimbabwe will then host Cameroon in their second Group J qualifier on September 10 at the same venue.

Nine local-based players, including Yadah star Khama Billiat, who recently announced his return to international duty, will be on the plane to Kampala later today.

Donovan Bernard (Chicken Inn), Andrew Mbeba (Highlanders), Godknows Murwira (CAPS United), Emmanuel Jalai (Dynamos), Walter Musona (Simba Bhora), Brian Banda (FC Platinum), Richard Hachiro (Ngezi Platinum Stars) and Obriel Chirinda (Ngezi Platinum Stars) are the other players expected to fly out.

Foreign-based players, including Denmark-based defender Munashe Garananga (FC Copenhagen), Tino Kadewere (Nantes) and skipper Marshall Munetsi (Stade de Reims) will fly directly from their bases to Kampala.

Veteran goalie Washington Arubi, who signed a one-year contract with Marumo Gallants last week, Jordan Zemura (Udinese) and Young African striker Prince Dube are also in the squad.

English side Wolves’ rising star Tawanda Chirewa, who is now on loan at English Championship side Derby County, is also flying to Kampala.

“Everything is on track and we are set and ready to roll,” ZIFA chief executive officer Yvonne Manwa told Zimpapers Sports Hub yesterday. The local-based players leave tomorrow (today) and soon after their local games, they go straight to the airport. All the players should be in camp by end of day on Monday, depending on their respective games and training should start on Tuesday.”

While Nees has had a chance to watch some of the local-based players, the German expatriate will meet most of the foreign-based players for the first time.

He has scheduled a meeting with the players tomorrow night, when everyone is expected to have arrived in Kampala.

There have been mixed reactions over the return of 34-year-old Billiat to the national team and the inclusion of Teenage Hadebe, who was clubless until recently, when he joined MLS side Cincinnati.

Nees reacted to these concerns by saying Billiat was doing well in the local league and still had “fire” in him to perform for the national team, despite his retirement from duty.

“I wanted to know what was the reason (for retiring). I wanted to understand if he still has the fire in himself to play,” he said on “The Couch” on ZTN Prime.

“It’s understandable that a player in his mid-30s, with three children or two children (retires). But he will come back; that means he will be away for three to five days travelling from the family and the club.

“We must respect that, that’s why players sometimes retire. So, I wanted to find out if he wanted to come or if he was being pressurised by someone else to come back and I came to the conclusion he still has that wish and that fire to come back and give everything.

“I think that’s best, you cannot deny his football skills and talent and if he still has the fire, I would say frankly I would be a very unwise coach not to consider such a player.”

Nees said Hadebe was a valuable player for the national team with a high number of caps.

“Teenage Hadebe, when you look at the whole squad, I think he is the most capped player. He has played 40 times for the Warriors, showing loyalty and commitment over a long time,” he said.

“That is something you need to appreciate. You cannot compare him with someone who just started playing in the national team. I admit in the last month he could not ascend to the level he should have or could have. He knows that maybe it could have been the situation of being without a club. It could have affected him.

“He is not at 100 percent, but if we need to throw him into the fire, he will help us, I’m pretty sure. He said he wanted to come and help the team in all things, and that convinced me; yes, this player will be in the squad.”

The Warriors begin their road to Morocco 2025 with a cagey affair against Kenya on Friday.

Zimbabwe and Kenya have met four times since 2008 and the Warriors have never won against the East Africans.

Their recent meeting was in July at the COSAFA Cup in South Africa, when the Harambe Stars triumphed 2-0.

Before that, the two nations clashed in a friendly match in Malawi in March, with Kenya prevailing 3-1.

The Warriors also failed to beat Kenya in back-to-back World Cup qualifiers in 2008.

Kenya beat Zimbabwe 2-0 in Nairobi on June 14, 2008 before holding the Warriors to a goalless draw at Rufaro Stadium a week later.

The battle at the Mandela National Stadium on Friday could prove tricky for the Warriors.

Zimbabwe national team squad

Goalkeepers:

Washington Arubi (Marumo Gallants), Marley Tavaziva (Brentford), Donovan Bernard (Chicken Inn)

Defenders:

Gerald Takwara (Al Minaa SC), Brendan Galloway (Plymouth Argyle), Munashe Garananga (FC Copenhagen), Andrew Mbeba (Highlanders), Godknows Murwira (CAPS United), Emmanuel Jalai (Dynamos), Teenage Hadebe (Cincinnati)

Midfielders:

Marshall Munetsi (Stade de Reims), Andy Rinomhota (Cardiff City), Jordan Zemura (Udinese), Walter Musona (Simba Bhora), Daniel Musendami (Marumo Gallants), Brian Banda (FC Platinum), Tawanda Maswanhise (Motherwell), Richard Hachiro (Ngezi Platinum Stars), Tawanda Chirewa (Derby).

Strikers:

Tinotenda Kadewere (FC Nantes), Douglas Mapfumo (Polokwane City), Prince Dube (Young Africans), Obriel Chirinda (Ngezi Platinum Stars), Khama Billiat (Yadah Stars)