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Zifa fully support Gumbo despite defeat

by Sports reporter
05 Jun 2012 at 07:11hrs | Views
ZIFA have said they fully support Rahman Gumbo and want him to continue guiding the Warriors despite the Warriors' false start in their campaign to qualify for the 2014 World Cup finals.

The national football governing body has also expressed disappointment with the Warriors' defeat by Guinea and the ugly scenes that characterised the end of Sunday's World Cup Group G qualifier at the National Sports Stadium.

But the soccer mother body said they were backing Gumbo despite him coming under fire from disgruntled fans at the giant stadium.

The Warriors once again conspired to hurt their legion of fans and an expectant nation was left disgruntled when they fluffed a host of chances, failing to maximise on home advantage and crashed 0-1 to Guinea.

It was the Warriors' third successive defeat in a competitive game having fallen 2-1 to Cape Verde in the last game of their failed 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Praia in October last year.

They then went down by an identical margin to Burundi in their 2013 Nations Cup first round, first leg qualifier.

Rarely have the Warriors hit such a terrible patch and when Mauritian referee Seechum Rajidraparsad blew to end the match against Guinea, a militant section of their supporters rained missiles onto the pitch and briefly detained their team on the pitch.

Zifa yesterday apologised for the senior team's loss but expressed regret over the violent incidents and the clashes between supporters with the association's chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze issuing a passionate appeal to the fans "to end all    hostilities and focus on rooting for their team".

Mashingaidze said they were aware that Sunday's defeat had hurt "all the soccer loving public" but noted that "burning the house is not the solution".

"As Zifa we are hurt by the result but it is not our habit to apportion blame on anyone.

"After all we are the custodians of the game. We want to appeal to the nation to remain calm and let the competition run its full course.

"It's the first game in such a campaign and anything is possible in the next five games. We want to urge the fans to rally behind this team.

"This is the team that is available after the Asiagate air crash.

"Of course a few more players are going to be available after being cleared which will continue to widen the selection base.

"We know that there are some elements that are being sponsored to denigrate the technical team that we have but we believe in the technical department that we have," Mashingaidze said.

Zifa, Mashingaidze also said, believed that only unity between the fans, the Warriors, the corporate world, government and the association would guarantee success of the senior team's double assault for places at the 2013 Nations Cup and the World Cup the following year.

"The 2012 campaign was a failed campaign and it is upon us a nation to unite for 2013 and 2014 campaigns.

"We also appeal to companies that are waiting on the wings to please come on board.

"But we must say thank you to Mbada Diamonds for ensuring that the players' allowances and appearance fees are catered for.

"It's a pity they could not win and also capitalise on the winning bonuses the company had offered," Mashingaidze said.

Despite their disappointment with the reaction of a section of the fans after the match and those that booed them during the encounter and demanded the reinstatement of the Warriors' suspended coach Norman Mapeza, Mashingaidze lauded the supporters for turning out in their numbers on Sunday.

"We want to thank the fans for coming in their large numbers and becoming the 12th player. We had more than 23 000 fans coming but we also urge them to avoid booing the boys and demotivating them.

"It is regrettable that some of the fans had running battles among themselves, it is regrettable that some vented their anger by smashing other people's vehicles.

"We cannot allow ruthlessness to creep into our game simply because there are some fans who think that they are more Zimbabweans than the rest of the nation.

"Those keen to support the Warriors should make arrangements to travel to Maputo and root for the team.

"The game against Mozambique is significant in that it is game two and the last of the World Cup qualifiers for this year and will determine our log standings until March next year when we go to Egypt".

Mashingaidze also implored the Warriors to raise their game and start bagging points.

"We have to desist from this business of having other teams in the group to try and play for us.

"We have to win our own games and see what happens next".

The Warriors who had a brief recess yesterday are expected to step up their preparations for their next Group assignment against the Mambas in Maputo.

Both Zimbabwe and Mozambique are without a point in Group G with the Mambas, who lost 2-0 to Egypt in Cairo last Friday night, anchoring the table because of an inferior goal difference.

But there is no doubting that pressure is mounting on the senior team to stem their slide and bounce back to winning ways and crucially win back the hearts of their supporters.

Source - TC