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NewsDay

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DeMbare stars might miss Warriors call-up

Sport
SEVERAL players, including fringe Warriors forward Shadreck Nyahwa, face the prospect of being overlooked by senior national soccer team coach Zdravko Logarušic when he picks players for the Cosafa tournament set for July due to inactivity.

BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA

SEVERAL players, including fringe Warriors forward Shadreck Nyahwa, face the prospect of being overlooked by senior national soccer team coach Zdravko Logarušic when he picks players for the Cosafa tournament set for July due to inactivity.

The Warriors mentor is scheduled to arrive from Croatia on June 1 to kickstart preparations for the tournament.

He has said he wants to give a number of fringe players a chance during the regional tournament. However, with some players who had switched clubs last year yet to be cleared by their former clubs who are demanding compensation, it has stalled their careers and will not be considered by the coach for the tournament.

Some of the players to be affected are striker Newman Sianchali, who joined Dynamos from city rivals Caps United, Valentine Kadonzvo who moved to Ngezi Platinum from Chicken Inn and Innocent Mucheneka who joined FC Platinum from Caps United.

Domestic football resumed last weekend with the Chibuku Super Cup tournament, and these players could not play a part for their respective teams because of non-registration and might not be considered when the coach names his Cosafa squad.

While this is set to affect several of these stars, Nyahwa, who was part of the team that participated at the African Nations Championship (Chan) tournament in Cameroon last year will be the most affected.

Bulawayo Chiefs are demanding compensation from Dynamos for taking care of the player’s welfare during a period when football was not being played.

Highlanders defender Peter Muduwa, who took part at the Chan tournament, has also not been registered and might miss out. Kadonzvo had been included in the provisional CHAN squad but was later dropped.

Warriors manager Wellington Mupandare yesterday  said it was unfortunate that those players who were not playing will be overlooked when the squad is announced.

“Obviously, those that are not playing will not be considered for the Cosafa tournament. The coach had said he was interested in giving a chance to fringe players and if they are not playing, then there is nothing the coach can do. He will consider other players,” Mupandare said.

Some of the players who took part at the CHAN tournament and stand a chance to be part of the Cosafa squad are Partson Jaure (Dynamos), goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda (Highlanders) Tafadzwa Jaravani (Caps), Ian Nekati (Chicken Inn), Qadr Amini (Ngezi Platinum Stars),  Richard Hachiro (Caps), and Dynamos’ King Nadolo, among others.

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