THE Warriors started their Orange 2015 Afcon football qualifiers on a bad note, losing 1-0 to Tanzania in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.
NewsDay Editorial
It was a narrow defeat that can be overturned, if coach Ian Gorowa can rectify the mistakes the team made in the match; which should be pretty easy considering how the team rallied together in the second half and managed to restrict the hosts to that single early goal.
The Warriors created quite a few chances in the match too which they could have capitalised on; that too gives the country the confidence and hope the team can overturn the deficit on June 1.
In selecting the team to do duty in the return leg, Gorowa should remain level-headed. Whereas it is imperative that he keeps faith in the team he took to Dar, he might also need to incorporate some who did not make that trip including the renegades who might have faked illness for reasons best known to themselves.
Willard Katsande is yet to verify his story on why he did not pitch up for national duty, but Gorowa has to be firm but fair in handling the case. Katsande deserves a second chance.
To his advantage, the match was not on the Fifa calendar so clubs were not obliged to release their players.
But come June 1, everybody that matters must be available for the match, including Edward Sadomba, if the coaches need him.
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Hopefully those who were on the injured list would have recovered. It would be great to welcome back Kingston Nkhatha, Khama Billiat and Knowledge Musona.
Kudos are in order to government through the Sports ministry and Zifa for facilitating smooth travelling arrangements for the Warriors and the fans, but there is need for continued support for the sport going forward.
Zimbabwe must pull all stops to ensure the Warriors play in Morocco next year.
For the return leg, every soccer-loving fan must come in their numbers and support the Warriors’ road to the top. The 12th man is a crucial factor in any home game and that moral support will motivate the players.
Financial support is critical from the corporate sector. Even though the economy is distressed, government and the corporate sector must ensure that the national team is provided for to do duty whenever they are called to fly the country’s flag high in foreign lands.
It is hoped that the Fifa capacity building workshop concluding today at the Zifa Village in Mt Hampden would enable the Zifa board to refocus on developing the game.
It is critical for each and every Zifa member to understand their responsibilities.
The country doesn’t need clueless individuals who fail to discharge their mandates in a proper manner.
Such individuals must be banished from football administration if the national team’s fortunes are to change for the better.
