The senior national men soccer team is stranded in Dar-es Salaam, Tanzania after their travel agent failed to secure them flight seats back home.
The Warriors, who were taking part in the Cecafa Tuskers Senior Challenge Cup where they reached the quarterfinal stage, were expected in the country yesterday morning.
However, they failed to secure enough seats and only four members of the team, goalkeepers coach Richard Tswatswa, assistant coach Mkhuphali Masuku, team medic Muparira Tapfuma and head of delegation Owen Chandamale managed to return home yesterday.
Coach Norman Mapeza, team manager Wellington Mpandare and all the 18 players are still hooked up in Dar-es Salaam.
Zifa yesterday said they are sorting out the issue with the travel agent and the team is now expected into the country today.
Zifa communications manager Nicky Moyo-Dhlamini yesterday said: “When you go for a tournament you book your tickets up to the first knockout stage so we had booked the tickets for the fourth off December. But when the team progressed to the next stage, we had to reschedule the bookings and it’s where we are having problems.
The airline is full. Today (yesterday) we managed to get few tickets and only four members came. We are trying to push the travel agent so that they can find us the seats as soon as possible because the association is now incurring costs that side.
Hopefully they will get the tickets tomorrow (today).” Since Thursday, the Warriors have ceased to be the organiser’s responsibility after their elimination and Zifa will now foot the costs incurred.
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