Sports / Soccer
Warriors player flown back home before World Cup qualifier match
16 Jun 2013 at 08:15hrs | Views
HARARE - Zimbabwe's chaotic trip to Guinea for Sunday's 2014 World Cup qualifier continued unabated after Hardlife Zvirekwi had to be flown back to Zimbabwe after misplacing his passport in Nairobi, Kenya Saturday.
The CAPS United star arrived in the country Sunday at 11am after he was left behind at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as he could not locate his travel documents.
The Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) officials had to organise an emergence travel document for the utility player through the Zimbabwe embassy in Kenya.
Zvirekwi's absence robs the already depleted Warriors team of a utility player, who was likely going to form an integral part of coach Klaus-Dieter Pagels' plans for this evening's match which kicks off at 5pm local time at the Stade du 28 Septembre in Conakry.
Zvirekwi had been tipped to be the direct replacement for right back Partson Jaure who was left out of the Warriors traveling team due to illness.
But Zvirekwi's misfortune was another tragic twist to Pagels plans, already in disarray following anarchic travel arrangements.
The German has already been denied the services of regular scorer Knowledge Musona, who missed the trip through injury.
Musona scored one of Zimbabwe's goals in the 2-4 defeat to run-away Group G leaders Egypt at the National sports Stadium on Sunday.
The trio of Ovidy Karuru, Khama Billiat and Matthew Rusike also failed to travel to Conakry through injury.
These injuries add on the misery of a side that has to suffer a taxing travelling schedule that only saw a batch of the squad arriving in the Guinea capital late last night.
The Warriors were initially scheduled to fly out on Thursday but were grounded after Zifa failed to secure a full complement of seats on the Kenyan Airways flight out of Harare.
The Daily News understands Zifa managed to secure 14 seats on the connecting flight to Conakry from Dakar, only 12 players, the coach Klaus-Dieter Pagels and team physio Farai Muguwu have been placed on those available seats from Dakar.
It was however not clear by the time of going to print last night if the rest of the Warriors contingent who remained in Dakar in the hope they will be able to get a connecting flight to Conakry in time for today's game, managed to pull off that act.
Against such a backdrop, the winless Warriors face Guinea who need an outright win against Zimbabwe whilst also hoping Mozambique defeat Egypt in the other Group G fixture.
So now, battered and bruised from the poor World Cup qualifier results, missing several key players and depleted from bungled travel arrangements, the Warriors find themselves in all sorts of trouble.
With no time to acclimatise and get a feel of the match venue, the side will have to dig deep to come out with a result that will leave them with their pride intact against the on song Syli National.
Squad: Washington Arubi, Maxwell Nyamupanedengu, Lincoln Zvasiya, Hardlife Zvirekwi, Ocean Mushure, Silas Songani, Masimba Mambare, Eric Chipeta, Devon Chafa, Tafadzwa Rusike, Rodrick Mutuma, Felix Chindungwe, Cuthbert Malajila, Archieford Gutu, Denver Mukamba.
The CAPS United star arrived in the country Sunday at 11am after he was left behind at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as he could not locate his travel documents.
The Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) officials had to organise an emergence travel document for the utility player through the Zimbabwe embassy in Kenya.
Zvirekwi's absence robs the already depleted Warriors team of a utility player, who was likely going to form an integral part of coach Klaus-Dieter Pagels' plans for this evening's match which kicks off at 5pm local time at the Stade du 28 Septembre in Conakry.
Zvirekwi had been tipped to be the direct replacement for right back Partson Jaure who was left out of the Warriors traveling team due to illness.
But Zvirekwi's misfortune was another tragic twist to Pagels plans, already in disarray following anarchic travel arrangements.
The German has already been denied the services of regular scorer Knowledge Musona, who missed the trip through injury.
Musona scored one of Zimbabwe's goals in the 2-4 defeat to run-away Group G leaders Egypt at the National sports Stadium on Sunday.
The trio of Ovidy Karuru, Khama Billiat and Matthew Rusike also failed to travel to Conakry through injury.
These injuries add on the misery of a side that has to suffer a taxing travelling schedule that only saw a batch of the squad arriving in the Guinea capital late last night.
The Warriors were initially scheduled to fly out on Thursday but were grounded after Zifa failed to secure a full complement of seats on the Kenyan Airways flight out of Harare.
The Daily News understands Zifa managed to secure 14 seats on the connecting flight to Conakry from Dakar, only 12 players, the coach Klaus-Dieter Pagels and team physio Farai Muguwu have been placed on those available seats from Dakar.
It was however not clear by the time of going to print last night if the rest of the Warriors contingent who remained in Dakar in the hope they will be able to get a connecting flight to Conakry in time for today's game, managed to pull off that act.
Against such a backdrop, the winless Warriors face Guinea who need an outright win against Zimbabwe whilst also hoping Mozambique defeat Egypt in the other Group G fixture.
So now, battered and bruised from the poor World Cup qualifier results, missing several key players and depleted from bungled travel arrangements, the Warriors find themselves in all sorts of trouble.
With no time to acclimatise and get a feel of the match venue, the side will have to dig deep to come out with a result that will leave them with their pride intact against the on song Syli National.
Squad: Washington Arubi, Maxwell Nyamupanedengu, Lincoln Zvasiya, Hardlife Zvirekwi, Ocean Mushure, Silas Songani, Masimba Mambare, Eric Chipeta, Devon Chafa, Tafadzwa Rusike, Rodrick Mutuma, Felix Chindungwe, Cuthbert Malajila, Archieford Gutu, Denver Mukamba.
Source - Daily News
