Antipas eyes Euro stars

By The NewsDay | Aug. 30, 2019 | 3 Min read

WARRIORS’ interim coach Joey Antipas is hoping for the regularisation of Macauley Bonne, David Moyo, Kundai Benyu and Brendan Galloway’s documents to enable them to represent the country in the near future.

BY FORTUNE MBELE

Zimbabwe will face Somalia in the preliminary round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers next month and the technical team has already put together a squad to start preparations for that match next week.

While Antipas is bullish over the Europe-based Warriors hopefuls, he is not extending the same to the dropped stars such as goalkeepers George Chigova and Edmore Sibanda as well as Ronald Pfumbidzai, Marvelous Nakamba, Knowledge Musona, Danny Phiri and Ovidy Karuru, among others.

This week, the media sought answers on the reasons behind the move to drop several regulars, but the usually open Antipas chose not to discuss the matter, fuelling speculation that he may have dropped some of the players under Zifa’s instruction.

Three weeks ago, Zifa announced that it had blacklisted certain players who were alleged to have been part of a plot to sabotage the association at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals in Egypt in June.

A new-look squad has been called up which only has 10 players from the previous squad that took part in the disastrous Afcon finals in Egypt in June, with goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze, Khama Billiat, Teenage Hadebe, Alec Mudimu, Devine Lunga, Marshall Munetsi, Thabani Kamusoko, Kudakwashe Mahachi, Tinotenda Kadewere and Evans Rusike having been recalled to the new set-up.

On Wednesday, Antipas said he believed Bonne, Moyo, Benyu and Galloway would add a new dimension of quality to the side.

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“I still would like to call more players from Europe so that we can have a good strong player base for the national team. There are a lot of players who are still not regularised, like Macauley Bonne, Brendan Galloway, Kundai Benyu, David Moyo, and all those guys playing in Scotland. If we can get more of those guys, the team will be real quality. Otherwise, the players who are not involved in the team, no comment from me,” Antipas said.

Moyo (24) is a striker who plays in the Scottish Premiership for Hamilton Academical and last featured for the Warriors in a friendly match against Morrocco in 2014.

Bonne (23) plays for Charlton Athletic in the second-tier of English football, while midfielder Benyu (21) is on loan to Swedish side Helsingbog from Scottish side Celtic.

Galloway, also aged 23, is a defender playing for Championship side Luton Town and has played for the England Under-21 side, but remains eligible to switch to Zimbabwe.

While Antipas could not be drawn to shed light on the excluded players he, however, said the squad he has called up is capable of producing good results in the preliminary World Cup qualifiers.

“One thing I don’t want to do is comment about the players who are missing (on the squad). All I will comment on is on the team that is going. The team is a youthful side, it’s a balanced team,” he said.

“I would say I believe they will definitely do the business in Somalia, but the main thing was to create more of a player base for the substantive coach who will come in.”

The Warriors take on Somalia on September 5 in the first leg in Djibouti and three days later, they will be at Barbourfields Stadium for the second leg.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Elvis Chipezeze (Baroka), Talbert Shumba (Chapungu) Defenders: Teenage Hadebe (Yeni Malatyaspor), McClive Phiri (Highlanders), Peter Muduwa (Highlanders), Alec Mudimu (CEFN Druids AFC), Divine Lunga (Lamontville Golden Arrows)

Midfielders: Marshall Munetsi (Stade de Reims), Thabani Kamusoko (Zesco United), Kudakwashe Mahachi (SuperSport United), Tichaona Chipunza (Chicken Inn), Phineas Bamusi (Caps United), Khama Billiat (Kaizer Chiefs)

Strikers: Tinotenda Kadewere (Le Havre AC), Clive Augusto (Maritzburg United), Terrence Dzvukamanja (Bidvest Wits), Admiral Muskwe (Leicester City), and Evans Rusike (Supersport United)