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Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor
THE Warriors are set to field an English Premiership player for the first time in nine years when the 2021 AFCON qualifiers get underway next month when they host the Zebras of Botswana at Barbourfields. Since former skipper Benjani Mwaruwari featured in a goalless draw against Cape Verde at the National Sports Stadium in a 2012 Nations Cup qualifier, the Warriors have not had a player from the most-watched sports league in the world.

The English Premiership is broadcast in 212 territories to 643 million homes and a potential television audience of 4,7 billion people.

Benjani, then playing for Blackburn Rovers, captained the Warriors in that goalless draw against the Blue Sharks in a match preceded by boardroom chaos at ZIFA, where some of the board members tried to bring Belgian gaffer Tom Saintfiet to head the technical staff.

However, Saintfiet was deported by immigration authorities just a day after conducting his first training session, with the Belgian gaffer being accused of having performed that role without a work permit as required by the country’s laws.

Norman Mapeza and Madinda Ndlovu were then named as co-coaches for the team consumed by all that chaos and fared dismally against Cape Verde.

Benjani, who had taken over the team’s captaincy from the legendary Peter Ndlovu at the 2006 AFCON finals, announced his retirement a day after that match.

It also marked the end of the Warriors’ romance with the English Premiership, which had provided at least a player into the team since the days of the Dream Team when King Peter and Bruce Grobbelaar were key members of the side.

However, nine years since fielding a player from the English Premiership, the Warriors are now set to have one in their fold for the two matches against Botswana at home and Zambia away from home next month.

The return of Marvelous Nakamba to international duty after he missed the 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Somalia as he settled at his Premiership side Aston Villa means the Warriors are now set to have in their ranks, a player from the English top-flight league.

The midfielder has established himself as a regular at Aston Villa, where his solid performances have caught the eyes of many who had expected his transition into the tough league to take longer.

“He’s a very proud Zimbabwean,’’ Villa manager Dean Smith told BirminghamLive. I’ve met his family after the game against Brighton and they’re all very proud of him.

“There’s a statue of him going up in Zimbabwe as well, such is his popularity over there. He’s a really likeable lad, a wonderful person who works hard to get better.

“He’s got such an enthusiasm that, when you meet him, straight away you’re endeared to him. He wants to do well for Aston Villa and wants to do his best for Zimbabwe as well.

“He wanted to come and play in the Premier League and believes he’s good enough and we believed that. His performances have been very good. He’s a great kid to work with, all of the coaches here will echo that.

“He’s the talk of the town in Zimbabwe.

“He’s the sort of player that we felt could improve us as a team. The dressing room has helped him settle in, he’s got Bjorn Engels and Wesley whom he’s played with at Brugge.”

Ironically, Benjani’s first start for Blackburn Rovers, back in 2010, came against Aston Villa in the third round of the English League Cup on September 22 at Villa Park.

Nakamba’s Villa are set to take on Wolves in an English League Cup match at Villa Park tomorrow and Smith could decide to rest some of his first team regulars, especially Nakamba, who have had a huge workload in the past few weeks.

Villa were at the receiving end of a 0-3 defeat at the home of the champions, Manchester City, with all the three goals by the English champions coming in the second half.

That meant Villa have managed to keep a clean sheet in the first half in all their league matches this season, but after being blown away in the second period by the English champions, they are now set to receive the European champions, Liverpool, in their next match at Villa Park.

It means Nakamba, if he is selected, would have taken on the English Premiership’s best two teams in back-to-back league matches.

Meanwhile, Warriors team manager Wellington Mpandare spent virtually the entire day camped at the Registrar-General’s Office in Harare yesterday trying to secure the passports of the British Brigade called into camp for the matches against Botswana and Zambia.

The players have faced a number of hurdles to get the passports needed for them to play for their fatherland.

Macauley Bonne, the red-hot Charlton Athletic forward, who scored for the fifth time in six games at the weekend, has been waiting for a Zimbabwean passport now for more than five months.

The striker was so sure he would get the passport before the AFCON finals, he even tweeted to say he was off to Egypt to represent his country, but his quest was dashed by a number of challenges and he missed the tournament.

In his absence, the Warriors badly missed a gunslinger like him, whose job is just to bang in the goals, as they scored just once in three group matches, with Khama Billiat on target against Uganda.