THE gallant Warriors of Zimbabwe surpassed all expectations at the African Nations Championships (Chan) by finishing in fourth place behind eventual winners Libya, runners-up Ghana and third-placed Nigeria.
NewsDay Editorial
It was a good performance by Ian Gorowa’s men and one that deserves due recognition by the government and the corporate sector.
Before their departure to South Africa, the Warriors received $88 000 from the Sport, Arts and Culture ministry out of a budgeted $354 000. This means there was a huge shortfall from this budget and something needs to be done.
So, after the Warriors qualified for the quarter-finals for the first time ever, one would have expected to see more corporate support for the Warriors, but all the achievement was met with silence.
Apparently, only one company gave the Warriors $10 000 for beating Mali. In December, FC Platinum assisted the Young Warriors with a two-week training camp in Zvishavane before the Cosafa Under-20 championships.
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The country is yearning for more companies to assist local football. Does Zifa have capacity to raise money for the Warriors with a $4 million debt hovering above its head? Perhaps not, given how the association has run down local football. So, only the government and the corporate world can assist.
It is, therefore, in order for the government to walk the talk and stop showering praises to the gallant Warriors with empty hands. They have raised the Zimbabwe flag high, so what has the government done in return?
Ways must be found to reward the 23 players just to let them know the nation appreciates what they have done.
It’s been long since the Warriors were in the news for good reasons and this is the time for the nation to take advantage of the momentum and do something good. In fact, the government must ensure that the Warriors get a fair share of the $250 000 prize money from the competition.
But this money will not come anytime soon as Caf has to follow certain procedures before money can be released to all the 16 teams that took part.
Indeed, the country must spare a little for the boys because they have laid the foundation for bigger things to come and should make an appearance in the 2015 African Cup of Nations finals in Morocco.
A national team is simply a national team; it does not belong to an association and represents the pride and aspirations of a country. So the Warriors are one such asset that defines who we are and our goals.