WARRIORS coach Ian Gorowa has named a 22-man squad consisting mainly of home-based players for the trip to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for the first round first leg of the 2015 African Cup of Nations qualifier against the hosts on May 18.
TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
The Warriors gaffer has retained the majority of the players that played at the Chan tournament in South Africa in January this year, where Zimbabwe managed to reach the semi-finals for the first time. He picked 16 home-based players and called up only six South Africa-based players.
Team manager Shariff Mussa, on releasing the squad yesterday, said the coach had wanted to bring in more foreign-based players, but some of them were either injured or had club commitments. From South Africa, Gorowa called up the Kaizer Chiefs duo of Willard Katsande and Kingston Nkatha, Sundowns’ Cuthbert Malajila, Ajax Cape Town’s Simba Sithole and Black Aces’ Tendai Ndoro.
“The coach had wanted to call up players like Costa Nhamoinesu and Carlington Nyadombo, but both of them are injured. He also wanted Ovidy Karuru and Edward Sadomba, but they have club commitments. The situation has been made difficult by Fifa, who announced that clubs were not compelled to release players for international duty as these matches fall outside the Fifa calendar for international matches. The players called up should report for camp on Monday with training starting on Tuesday. The team will be trimmed to the final 18 before departure either on Thursday or Friday,” Mussa said.
Should the Warriors beat Tanzania, they will face the winner between Mozambique and South Sudan and if they advance, they will join neighbours Zambia, Niger and Cape Verde in Group E for the final qualifiers.
Goalkeepers: W Arubi, G Chigova, M Diya Defenders: H Zvirekwi, E Chipeta, P Jaure, S Linyama, M Ncube, R Pfumbidzai Midfielders: W Katsande, D Phiri, P Manhanga, S Alimenda, N Masuku, P Moyo, M Mudewe, T Chawapiwa, Strikers: K Mahachi, T Ndoro, S Sithole (Ajax Cape Town), K Nkatha, C Malajila
