MAMELODI Sundowns forward Kuda Mahachi has been ruled out of the Under-23 African Championships first leg qualifier against Swaziland at Rufaro Stadium on Sunday due to family commitments, leaving coach Kalisto Pasuwa with a severely depleted team.
BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
Pasuwa will also have to do without defender Lawrence Mhlanga after Chicken Inn withdrew him from camp as they prepare for tomorrow’s match against Hwange.
Team manager Shariff Mussa yesterday said Mahachi was attending to his sick child in Bulawayo and would miss the match. “Mahachi is in Bulawayo and according to what he told me he is attending to his child who is not feeling well and, as the father, he will not be coming into camp,” said Mussa.
Pasuwa, though, was more worried by his defence as he now has to start all over in trying to come up with a solid backline after Blessing Moyo, Mhlanga and goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva were also ruled out because their clubs want to use them for the weekend games. Ronald Pfumbidzai is still on trials in Denmark.
“What is most worrying is that from the defenders I had when we played against Morocco last year, I have no one right now. I have lost Moyo, Pfumbidzai and Mukuruva.
“I will have to start all over again because Mhlanga has been withdrawn again,” Pasuwa said.
“It’s very difficult when you consider that we are playing against a team that has been in camp for the past three months preparing for this match.”
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The Young Warriors’ coach was yesterday still considering bringing back Bernard Donovan from the Cosafa tournament in South Africa.
Attempts by Pasuwa to rope in Caps United goalkeeper Criss Mverechena have failed to bear fruit.
The coach has been training with a make-shift defence with Flame Lily’s Edwin Madhananga called up to replace Pfumbidzai. Swaziland is expected in Harare this afternoon.
Should Pasuwa’s men go through, they will face neighbours South Africa in the final qualifying round, with winners from that encounter sealing a ticket to the Democratic Republic of Congo, from which the top-three finishers will automatically qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games to be held in Brazil, while the fourth-placed team will engage a team from the Asian Football Confederation in a play-off.
