The Warriors of Zimbabwe might have won the Four Nations Tournament -- albeit against weak opponents -- but question marks still remain over Marian Marinica's overall team selection.
Although the four team competition is way behind us, we cannot ignore the questionable team selection going towards other tournaments and also in the wake of building for World Cup 2030.
Surely, how could a coach with serious football ambitions call the likes of Marvelous Nakamba, McCaulley Bonne, and Godknows Murwira, who have not featured for their clubs for some time.
How surely can a coach with the dream of leading the Warriors to the 2030 World Cup still believe that Knowledge Musona and Bonne -- at their age -- can help make his dream a reality ?
How surely can a coach who took Tadiwa Chakuchichi to the Afcon finals contending that he was among the future for Zimbabwean football turn around to dump the same youngster he so much believed in ?
Even Highlanders young hotshot Mongameli Tshuma had been ignored and was only called as a replacement for one of Knowledge Musona, Tawanda Maswanhise, Prince Dube, and Thando Ngwenya, who had withdrawn
Are we building for the future or going back to Afcon 2025 ?
In fact, questions are being raised as to whether Marinica or Michael Nees -- before him -- had or has a big voice over player calls to camp.
What is disturbing is that there is a similar pattern in the manner in which the Warriors are being selected -- game after game -- and the feeling persists that the person doing the selection was there during the Zifa normalisation committee and is still there with Zifa or that there is a an outsider with strong ties to Zifa who influences selection.
Sadly, the same players who have disappointed over and over again continue to find their way into the national team set up buttressing word of underhand dealings behind the curtains.
Nakamba -- for example -- has not been the Nakamba we used to know since the day Aston Villa loaned him to Luton Town. Now at Sheffield Wednesday, he is failing to command a regular place at the weakest team in the English Championship.
In fact, in terms of impact on the field of play, Nakamba is the worst ever captain in history as compared to Sunday Chidzambwa, Ephert Lungu, Misheck Chidzambwa, Joel Shambo, Ephraim Chawanda, Francis Shonhai, Moses Chunga, Peter Ndlovu, Norman Mapeza, Benjani Mwaruwari, Willard Katsande and Knowledge Musona.
One football analyst even suggested that to avoid the selection dilemma, there should be minimum requirements for national calls.
One of which is a player should be playing regularly for his club and that there should also be a cap on the lowest league the player should be playing in.
Another one suggested that - just like in cricket - there should be a selection panel to select the national team.
Others, however, argue that that would be going too far as it would undermine the coach's authority over his own team.
Are you happy with the Warriors selection process ? Do you think there should be minimum requirements or that we should introduce a selection panel ?
*For your views, comments and suggestions mkariati@gmail.com or WhatsApp on 0773 266 779.