The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
Sports Reporter
WHILE a leaked provisional Warriors squad dominated local football debate on Friday, in Algeria the resurgence of Covid-19 cases in recent weeks has been a cause for concern in the corridors of power of the North African nation.
Algeria host Zimbabwe in a massive top-of-the-table Group H qualifier in Algiers on November 12 and ZIFA revealed yesterday that they had been getting some updates from the Zimbabwean Embassy in Algiers in the wake of a second wave of coronavirus.
According to Press reports from North Africa and the Middle East, Algeria has seen a resurgence in novel coronavirus cases in recent weeks.
As of yesterday, Algeria had 57 651 confirmed cases, 40 014 recoveries and 1 956 deaths.
Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune was last week transferred to a German hospital, days after the 74-year-old went into self isolation following reports of suspected coronavirus cases among his aides.
According to al Arabiya, a Saudi-owned free-to-air television, the President’s transfer comes after reports that several officials in the presidency and government had contracted Covid-19.
Consequently, all land borders remain closed in Algeria and the suspension of non-cargo domestic and international air and maritime travel remains in place.
Effectively, the Zimbabwe national team will have to use a chartered plane from Harare to Algiers and some ZIFA board members met in the capital on Thursday afternoon to discuss the logistics.
Foreign-based players will fly to Harare before connecting to Algiers on the chartered plane.
ZIFA communications and competitions manager Xolisani Gwesela gave an update on the situation yesterday afternoon.
“We will be guided by CAF and FIFA protocols as well as our local health authorities with regards the situation (resurgence of coronavirus cases in Algeria), but we are in touch with the Zimbabwean Embassy in Algeria, they
have been updating us,” said Gwesela.
“However, I can confirm that we are going to use a charter plane to Algeria. Foreign-based players will come to Harare first.”
Although ZIFA are yet to officially announce the team that will prepare for the showdown with the Desert Foxes, a leaked squad list with some surprise inclusions, has been circulating on various social media platforms since Friday.
Former Warriors number one Tatenda Mkuruva is part of a 24-man provisional squad that includes little known defender Tendai Jirira, who plays for Detroit City in the United States and Kundai Benyu who turns out for English Fifth tier side Wealdstone.
Buildcon FC right-back Takudzwa Chimwemwe is among a number of controversial inclusions that have continued to raise eyebrows on the Warriors selection.
Unattached midfielder Ovidy Karuru, who was released by South African side Stellenbosch, also gatecrashed into the squad despite being inactive.
ZIFA, where basic tenets of corporate governance are a rarity, insist the squad is set to be officially announced today along with the envisaged programme of the training camp.
Warriors coach, Zdravko “Loga” Logarusic, has, meanwhile, heaped praises on his Algerian counterpart Djamel Belmadi who guided the Desert Foxes to the championship podium at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Egypt.
Loga revealed that he voted for Belmadi who was shortlisted for the 2019 Best FIFA’s Men Coach of the Year award.
The Croat made the revelation in an interview with an Algerian radio station — Radio Algerie International (RAI) — last week.
The award was eventually won by Jurgen Klopp who clinched the 2018-2019 UEFA Champions League trophy with Liverpool.
“I myself voted for him (Belmadi) to be the best FIFA Coach of the Year. He’s had good results, he’s formed a good team with good chemistry and he doesn’t need to talk about it because his results speak for themselves,” Loga, who was in charge of Sudan in 2019, told RAI.
“I take this opportunity to congratulate him on the work he does with the Algerian national team.’’
Algeria are unbeaten at home in their last 15 Nations Cup qualifiers.
They underlined their invincibility at home with a 5-0 thumping of Zambia in their opening Group H campaign before veteran Leicester City striker Islam Slimani and company travelled to Gaborone where they eked out a 1-0 victory over Botswana.
In fact, the Desert Foxes have not lost in 21 matches in all competitions.
They top Group H with six points from those two wins against Zambia and Botswana.
But Covid-19 is once again threatening to disrupt their bid to stretch their fine home run where the Warriors, then under Charles Mhlauri, battled to a 2-2 draw in Oran.
In the current Group H campaign, the Warriors are second with four points, from a rare 2-1 away win over Zambia and a 0-0 draw at home against Botswana.
