Denver Mukamba is not part of the AFCON squad.
22 December 2021
Jeremiah Harrison
Sports Reporter
Denver Mukamba’s absence from the Warriors AFCON squad has raised fans’ eyebrows.
Football fans in Zimbabwe have shown disappointments following the announcement of the 30 men provisional Zimbabwe team for AFCON.
Fans had high expectations concerning the excel performance portrayed by some of the local players in the Zimbabwe topflight Premier Soccer League.
The likes of Denver Mukamba who was part of the 40 men provisional squad was left out in yesterday’s 30 men provisional squad for the AFCON Tournament.
The list is dominated by foreign based players including the skipper Knowledge Musona who has been enjoying a good form in Saudi Arabia.
Prince Dube the ‘Savior’ who plays his trade with the Tanzanian side Azam FC who scored a brace in the Tanzanian FA Cup last week was also named in the squad alongside his teammates Bruce Kangwa and Never Tigere.
Award winning USA based defender Teenage Hadebe who plays in the Major League Soccer for Houston Dynamo is also part of the squad.
There were some noticable missing players such as Khama Billiat, who retired from the international football.
Marvelous Nakamba, Mashall Munetsi and Brandon Galloway could not make it due to injuries whereas Tendai Darikwa excused himself for ‘personal reasons’.
Bill Antonio a youngster from Dynamos who has been making headlines concerning a possible move to Mozambique, also made it to the 30 men provisional.
The selected players will begin training this thursday on 23 December.
The final 23 men squad will be selected on the New year’s eve.
What has raised fans’ eyebrows is that among the selected squad are several Dynamos and FC Platinum players whose performance did not match Mukamba’s performance.
Mukamba who plays for Ngezi Platinum Stars has been in good form being the most performing player in the Chibuku Super Cup, as the playmaker for the Mhondoro-Ngezi side, despite losing in the Chibuku Super Cup final to FC Platinum in penalties on December 4.
What then is the criteria used in the selection of players for the national team?
Mapeza is highly criticised over ZIFA selection of players for the AFCON Tournament set for Cameroon from January 9.
“Mapeza chose his players from FC Platinum who we don’t even know how they play”, commented a football fan.
“If this team goes past the group stages, We shall be saying Norman is a tactician
“Such is life in football” another fan commented on social media.
“Is this the Warriors squad or its the ‘FC Platinum-lite’ ” Chiwanza commented in a certain whatsApp group chat.
“Where is Denver Mukamba, he is not on the list then what criteria are they using for selecting the squad”, Gabriel Ngoma commented.
Zimbabwe alongside Malawi are the only two teams from the Southern Africa region present at the AFCON tournament.
Zimbabwe face the Lions of Teranga in their first match set for 10 January.
In the meantime FIFA has threatened to suspend Zimbabwe from all football activities if the ZIFA Board that was suspended by the Sports and Recreation Commission is not reinstated by next month.
FIFA ordered the Zimbabwean government to reinstate ZIFA president Felton Kamambo by January 3 or the country can forget about participating at next year’s Africa Cup of Nations.
If the FIFA order is not adhered to Zimbabwe may not participate at next year’s AFCON,
- No women’s AFCON qualifiers,
- Zimbabwe will not participate at the international stage rather to play within the country in own matches. With less attention on domestic football, expect drought in player salaries.
- No FIFA grants, (Zimbabwe receives just over US$1 million in FIFA grants each year),
•-No FIFA youth coaching courses, FIFA referees courses
-No international transfer of players
FIFA Chief Member Association Officer Kenny Jean-Marie hit out at the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC)’s decision to suspend the ZIFA board based on “mere allegations without proof of a final and binding ruling.”
Jean-Marie said the SRC’s appointment of a restructuring committee in place of the suspended board “appears to be clearly contrary to the above statutory principles.”
“As a consequence, should such decisions be considered by FIFA to constitute undue third-party interference in the internal affairs of ZIFA … all of Zimbabwean football would suffer the consequences, especially on the eve of the AFCON 2021,” Jean-Marie said in a letter to ZIFA.
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