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Paul Munyuki Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE might have beaten Tunisia in the Rugby Africa Cup competition on Saturday, maintaining their unbeaten record over the North Africans and moving a step closer to winning the competition, but Sables coach Cyprian “Supa” Mandenge is a disgruntled man.

It is the structure of the competition that Mandenge is not happy about as it seems to favour Namibia.

The four-team competition is made up of World Cup-bound Namibia, Kenya, Tunisia and Zimbabwe playing each other once on a home-or-away basis but that is not the main reason Mandenge is not a happy man.

Rugby Africa structured the competition in such a way that it is centred around Namibia, seemingly to help them prepare for the global competition set for England in two months time.

Namibia have only played one game in the competition so far, beating Tunisia on June 6, and will play Kenya and Zimbabwe towards their departure date for the World Cup, giving them what Mandenge terms an “unfair advantage”.

Initially, the competition was structured in a way that all games would run concurrently and Zimbabwe were scheduled to take on Namibia in Windhoek on June 6, the same day and time that Kenya were set to host Tunisia.

In the second round, Zimbabwe were expected to host Kenya on June 13 with Tunisia hosting Namibia on the same day and time while Namibia were expected to host Kenya with Zimbabwe hosting the North Africans in the final round of games.

But the fixture was then changed to accommodate Namibia’s needs.

Zimbabwe, being Namibia’s toughest opponents, are now due to travel to Namibia for what is the final game of the competition on August 15, just a few days before their departure for England while Kenya will be in Windhoek a week earlier.

“This is an unfair fixture because it is meant to favour Namibia. The playing ground is not level when you get into a game knowing exactly the result you need to win a competition.

“This was the same case as well at the World Cup qualifier tournament last year in Madagascar. All the games should just be played concurrently because as it is right now Namibia have the upper hand.

“Already Tunisia have finished their games, Zimbabwe and Kenya have played two and Namibia have only played one game,” said the Sables coach.

Namibia have only played Tunisia so far in the competition having travelled to Tunis on June 6 and, according to the revised fixture, this would have been the same day that Zimbabwe were set to host Kenya.

But Namibia’s next games will be on August 8 (against Kenya) and 15 (against Zimbabwe) when they play both matches in front of their home crowd.

Namibia were supposed to have hosted Zimbabwe on June 8, the same day that Kenya beat Tunisia, and were scheduled to play Kenya last weekend but the Rugby Africa decided to give them a break, only to return to competitive rugby early next month.

“We played all our matches despite the fact that about 18 of our players were not available or had injuries but it seems Namibia get preferential treatment because they will play us when all their players are available.

“If the case is that Namibia are playing when all their players are available then that should also have been the case for all the teams.

“We should all play on the same day at the same time to avoid speculation and be treated equally,” said Mandenge.