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Robson Sharuko

Senior Sports Editor

THE Warriors are walking alone, with fate seemingly conspiring against them, while also boosting the chances of their two rivals, in the battle for a place at the next AFCON finals.

Just when they thought it couldn’t get any worse, with a number of their key players expected to miss the final two qualifiers, their two rivals — Botswana and Zambia — appear to have received a major boost.

Of course, the ball is still in the hands of the Warriors.

After all, if they win their remaining two matches, against the Zebras and Chipolopolo, they will qualify for the Nations Cup finals, irrespective of what happens elsewhere.

But, fate appears to be battling to weaken them, in a way last seen when Ebola forced them to send a makeshift team to Kinshasa, which was hammered 0-5 by the DRC, on June 4, 1995.

And, fate appears to be also battling, to try and give their rivals, a helping hand.

Already, influential midfielder, Marvelous Nakamba, has been barred by his English Premiership side, Aston Villa, from travelling home for the two AFCON qualifiers this month.

The expectation is that Tendayi Darikwa, the outstanding player in their last Nations Cup qualifier against the Desert Foxes, in Harare, last November, might also not make the trip.

And, the same challenges will also affect Admiral Muskwe, who plays for English Championship side, Wycombe Wanderers, Brendan Galloway, who plays in the same league for Luton Town and David Moyo of Scottish side, Hamilton Acamedical.

However, Galloway was already a big doubt, amid concerns about his fitness, with his last game having come in the first week of January.

Tough regulations enforced by British authorities, requiring players who travel from countries which the United Kingdom has flagged, as Covid-19 hotspots, have complicated issues for foreign footballers, based there, willing to play for their countries this month.

With the players being ordered to quarantine, at an airport hotel for, at least, 10 days, on their return to the UK, the clubs have been flexing their muscles, empowered by new FIFA regulations, to bar such players, from going for national duty.

FIFA have given clubs, whose players face quarantine, of more than five days, on their return from national duty, the powers to decide not to release them to play for their countries.

In the Warriors’ case, this will not only weaken them but, crucially, it’s also likely to boost the prospects of both Botswana and Zambia, who are now set to face weakened opponents.

While the Warriors took on a full-strength Algerian side, in their back-to-back battles, losing one and drawing the other match, both Botswana and Zambia could benefit from taking on the severely-weakened Desert Foxes.

In a group format, this is crucial, and significantly alters the playing field.

There had been expectations that the Algerians would rest some of their key players, for their final two matches against Zambia and Botswana, with qualification for Cameroon, having been secured, two games before the end of the qualifiers.

However, with the Desert Foxes desperate to defend their unbeaten run, stretching to 22 games, and knowing that two more victories, this month, would take them above France and Germany, on the table of countries who have enjoyed such a good run, they were still expected to field a strong side.

But, that is now set to change, with the Algerians expected to field a severely weakened side, which could give both Botswana, and Zambia, a chance to do well, against them. The Zambians, who were hammered 0-5, in Algeria, host the Desert Foxes in their next round of qualifiers.

But, with Riyad Mahrez, Said Benrahma (Wet Ham), Ramy Bensebaini (Borussia Monchengladbach), Mohamed Fares (Lazio), Ismael Bennacer (AC Milan) and Adam Ounas (Cagliari), expected to miss the match, Chipolopolo can now fancy their chances.

Botswana, too, will know that, what had appeared to be a hopeless mission to Algeria, for their final match, can now be possibly won, which means that all they need is to avoid defeat, against the Warriors, and take their campaign to the wire.

Reports from Algeria yesterday indicated that coach Djamel Belmadi has even settled to include four newcomers, for the two matches, against Zambia and Botswana.

He is set to announce his squad next week.

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, made it clear yesterday that Mahrez will not be allowed to travel for the two AFCON qualifiers.

‘’It makes no sense to go there and come back, isolate for ten days. We’re working incredibly hard, the break comes at important part of the season,’’ Guardiola told the British media ahead of City’s Derby showdown against United tomorrow.

“It doesn’t make sense and they will not fly. If they can come back and train, they will fly. We spend a lot of time, effort, money. If six, seven, eight players cannot play with us, it makes no sense.

“We want to let them go. I know how important it is, I will never say don’t play for your country. But, it makes no sense, going and not training for ten days, ten more days we play Premier League, in case we go through in the Champions League and (we0 are without players.

“They’re not going to fly. If UEFA or FIFA makes something special, we’ll follow. No restaurants, tests, after the Premier League, we won’t know what will happen with red zones.

‘’If they’re 20 days without games and we play every three days they’ll not travel.”

Already, the Desert Foxes had been weakened by the injury to star defender, Hicham Bouadoui, of French club Nice, who suffered a meniscus tear, which will rule him out of action for two months.

The 21-year old was voted the Nice Player of the Month, for February, and has been in outstanding form, for club and country, in recent months.

The reality for the Warriors, who will now become the only team in their group to have had the misfortune of playing the full-strength Algerians, in two matches, is that they have to do it on their own, even in their weakened state.

They will have to beat both Botswana, in Gaborone, and Zambia, in Harare, for them to be guaranteed a place at the next AFCON finals.

While, no team should expect a helping hand from another side, the complexity of this case is that, not only are the Warriors set to field a weakened side, but they are now likely to be the only ones who, in two group games, took on a full-strength Algeria.