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Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
CHAOS continued to stalk the Zimbabwe Under-23 team’s preparations for their All-African Games qualifier against Cameroon in Yaoundé next weekend, with more Premiership clubs yesterday ordering their players back ahead of the busy Easter weekend fixtures.

Coach Callisto Pasuwa, already facing a dilemma after starting camp with just 14 of the 25 players he had called up, was last night left with just one goalkeeper and nine on-field players in camp after clubs such as Highlanders, Harare City, FC Platinum, Chicken Inn and Buffaloes became the latest to recall their men.

FC Platinum, who will face Young Africans of Tanzania in a Confederation Cup first round tie at Mandava, had released the pair of striker Walter Musona and midfielder Wisdom Mutasa before deciding to recall the former last night.

The Young Warriors are set to leave for Cameroon early next week, but as was the case in the first leg which they bravely won 1-0 using a depleted squad, it is actually getting worse for Pasuwa and his men.

Of the 10 players he has been left to train with, three — Mcini Sibanda, Terrence Gonzo and Samuel Makawa — did not feature in the first leg.

Australia-based goalkeeper Ackim Abdul was also due to return to his base last night, but the son of former Zimbabwe and CAPS United goalkeeper will not have good impressions of the state of a domestic game from which he intends to build his international career.

“After making our pleas before and after the first leg, we thought things would be better and there would be better support, but we are operating more like a boozers’ team that just assembles a few hours before a game,” said Pasuwa.

“As late as this evening the players are receiving orders from their clubs to return or face disciplinary action and I have no choice, but to release them.

‘I had hoped that we could use our training to work on the mistakes that we picked out from the first leg and boost our team with more players, but at this rate I don’t know whether we will be able to get all the players back in time to squeeze in some training before we leave for Cameroon.

“This is not pleasing and yet I think with the players we have in the country we can do better,’’ Pasuwa said.

The Dynamos trio of Carlos Rusere, goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva and defender Blessing Moyo, Triangle’s Malvin Gaki and Praise Tonha as well as Gerald Takwana of Tsholotsho are the only players in camp.

ZIFA have so far not done enough too to try and help the Young Warriors to secure the services of Kuda Mahachi from Mamelodi Sundowns, despite the winger having been included on Pasuwa’s wish list.

PSL chief executive Kenny Ndebele last night reiterated that his league was unable to cancel any fixtures to accommodate the Young Warriors games, but suggested that Pasuwa had to liaise with club coaches over the release of players.

Ndebele said he had met with his ZIFA counterpart Jonathan Mashingaidze yesterday and explained to him the tight schedule which the league faces and the assurance that the top-flight has made that it would postpone games in July to accommodate the national team’s African Nations Championships qualifiers.

“Like I have previously said, the PSL programme is very tight and if we are to postpone all the games for the Under-23 fixtures, we won’t finish the season this year.

“I spoke to Mashingaidze today (yesterday) and suggested that the national coach should liaise with club coaches in terms of the release of players because each and every club has 30 registered players.

“It is unbelievable that all the clubs are now relying on Under-23 players. Under normal circumstances, the Under-23 players are not so key to their clubs.

“It must also be noted that in August we will have the AFCON qualifiers starting and as PSL we still believe we will be in the World Cup and we have made a provision for the start of the World Cup qualifiers too,’’ Ndebele said.