IT is only a week before Zimbabwe’s Warriors engage Algeria in back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers, but there are things which we should have done which we did not do.
insidesport:with MICHAEL KARIATI
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) gave us the chance to play at the National Sports Stadium (NSS), but unfortunately not all of us will get the chance to watch this game.
This is so because no spectators will be allowed into the stadium because of the threat of the spread of Covid-19 which has ravaged the globe.
The general feeling is that Caf agreed to have the Warriors’ home game played at the NSS because there won’t be any spectators in the ground.
This is so because the bucket seats are still to be installed in the stadium despite promises by the Sports ministry to do that by the end of August, which has passed.
However, that the stadium would be empty could not have been the case had the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) acted in time to have a few spectators in the giant stadium for the Warriors’ home game.
Zifa could have applied to have at least 20 000 or 30 000 fans into their stadium to watch the game under strict Covid-19 restrictions, which would have involved social distancing and the wearing of masks.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
There was nothing wrong in trying and Caf would have probably looked at the Zimbabwean cause and either refused or agreed to allow around 15 000 or so fans to watch Zimbabwe’s biggest game in this 2022 Afcon campaign.
Now that this has not happened, we will have to live with what is there because we were slow in thinking about making such a move to Caf.
The Warriors would be at home but without their home fans, they would be just like Algeria who are playing away from home.
Some of the players would be playing at the NSS for the first time and for them there won’t be any difference with playing Algeria in Algiers.
Whatever the case, this is the chance for Zdravko Logarušic’s class of 2020 to prove their mettle without their 12th player and fight for qualification for Cameroon 2022.
Logarušic has assembled what is arguably the best available group of players and what is now left is for the Warriors to do the nation proud by winning one of the two games against the Desert Foxes.
A team that boasts the likes of Khama Billiat, Knowledge Musona, Tendai Darikwa, Jordan Zemura, Marvelous Nakamba, Tino Kadewere, Marshall Munetsi and Adam Chicksen can best be described as classy in any sporting language.
Unfortunately, due to slow thinking, the majority of Zimbabweans will not be able to see this classy field in action.
l For your comments, views and suggestions, email [email protected] or WhatsApp: 0773 266 779.
