Where to Warriors?

21 Jul, 2019 - 00:07 0 Views

The Sunday Mail

Langton Nyakwenda

AS Algeria’s Desert Foxes were celebrating being crowned the 2019 African champions on Friday night, the Warriors’ dismal performance was once again brought to the fore amid tough questions on the direction the senior team is taking as we now focus on the 2021 AFCON edition.

Baghdad Bounedjah’s early goal propelled them to a first Africa Cup of Nations title in 29 years after a fiery 1-0 victory over Sadio Mane’s Senegal during Friday’s final at the Cairo International Stadium.

Bounedjah gave Algeria a dream start in the second minute when his deflected shot looped over Senegal goalkeeper Alfred Gomis, and it proved enough for the 1990 champions to lift the trophy on foreign soil for the first time.

However, more worryingly for the Warriors is the manner in which the line-up of the 2019 Nations Cup teams badly exposed them as Algeria, Senegal, and Tunisia — who made the last four this year — were in the same Group B with Zimbabwe two years ago at the tournament in Gabon.

Just two years ago, the Desert Foxes needed an 82nd Riyad Mahrez equaliser to grind a 2-2 draw against the Warriors, while runners-up Senegal beat Kallisto Pasuwa’s men 2-0 and the Tunisian Carthage Eales secured a 4-2 triumph over the Warriors.

Algeria finished third with two points, one above the Warriors.

While the Warriors literary went to sleep post Gabon, only to wake up from their slumber when the 2019 qualifiers were starting, the Algerians were investing in their youth during the same period.

On Friday night, before a huge and appreciative crowd in Cairo, the Algerians reaped huge rewards from their investment.

Out of the four teams from the 2017 AFCON Group B, only Zimbabwe — who earned a point and four goals then — were worse off in the 2019 edition.

The Warriors managed just a point and a single goal scored by Khama Billiat in the 1-1 draw against Uganda.

Senegal bowed out at the quarter-final stage in Gabon two years ago but bounced back in style to reach Friday’s final. All this begs the question… where exactly is Zimbabwean football going off the rail?

Could it be poor planning, lack of continuity or outright lack of top class players who can rise to the occasion when it matters most?

Six players who started Zimbabwe’s opening match at the 2017 tournament — Tatenda Mkuruva, Costa Nhamoinesu, Hardlife Zvirekwi, Onismor Bhasera and Willard Katsande — have all disappeared from the Warriors’ radar.

Skipper Knowledge Musona, Nyasha Mushekwi and Billiat were the only players from the Class of 2017 who started in Zimbabwe’s match against Egypt on the opening day of the 2019 edition on June 21. Since making an AFCON finals debut in Tunisia 15 years ago, Zimbabwe has never progressed beyond the group stage.

The national team is in the habit of chopping and changing both coaches and players.

The Warriors technical team also has a tendency of recycling ageing players at the expense of upcoming, exciting and energetic young players.

Even when CAF changed the 2019 finals format to accommodate four best third placed teams into the knockout stage, the Warriors still crashed out at the first hurdle – without a win – despite being placed in what looked like a reasonable group.

In their statement to the media on July 11, soon after the Warriors’ return from the failed AFCON excursion, ZIFA apportioned part of the blame on alleged infiltration of the national team camp “by a group of vengeful individuals bent on undoing the great work done by the current executive.”

However, ZIFA president Felton Kamambo has spoken about the need to move on.

Last week’s pronouncement of the 2021 AFCON qualification groups should be a signal to ZIFA, and more importantly to the Warriors’ coaches, that work should start now.

Zimbabwe was drawn into the same group with Botswana, Zambia and African champions Algeria.

The qualifiers start in November.

Zimbabwe’s first assignment after the AFCON shame is a two-legged African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier against Mauritius.

The first leg is in Mauritius on July 28, with a reverse fixture coming a week later at home. The CHAN squad, set to be announced tomorrow, should set the tone for a new beginning for the Warriors.

Given that the CHAN tournament is a development competition, the Warriors should unleash players below the age 30, with a bias towards the Under-23 players who will also compete against South Africa in the final UCAF Under-23 AFCON in September.

Banking on players such as Ariel Sibanda, Lawrence Mhlanga, Partson Jaure as well as the injury prone duo of Qadr Amini and Ronald Chitiyo will be a retrogressive step in an era where the likes of Blessing Sarupinda, Anelka Chivandire, and Tymon Mvula should be flourishing and forming the basis of the squad for the 2021 AFCON and the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

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