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Robson Sharuko

Senior Sports Editor
REMEMBER the farce of ’95, when the Warriors were forced to send a makeshift team to Kinshasa, for a crucial ’96 AFCON qualifier, and how that lightweight side were humiliated by their rampant hosts?

For those who have forgotten, here is a reminder of the score – the Democratic Republic of Congo 5, Zimbabwe 0.

And, here is a reminder of the scorers – Roger Lukaku converted a first-minute penalty, Nzelo Herve Lembi hit a hat-trick in the 29th, 35th and 55th minutes and Mpia Lowata completed the rout in the 77th minute.

If the name of Lukaku sounds familiar, then you are right, he is the father of Inter Milan forward, Romelu, and his brother, Jordan, who plays for Belgian top-flight side, Royal Antwerp.

The outbreak of Ebola, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, meant a number of the regular Warriors’ players, concerned they would be barred from entering their foreign bases, chose to stay away from this fixture.

That huge defeat counted, at the end, as the Warriors ended two points adrift of both the DRC and Cameroon, who booked their places at the ’96 Nations Cup finals, at the end of the campaign. But, that’s not all.

Remember, during that same campaign, the decision by Lesotho, to withdraw from the qualifiers, after the country had played six matches, winning one and losing five games?

For those who have forgotten, here is a reminder of the consequences of that decision by Lesotho – the Warriors, the only team in the group who had won two matches, against them, lost six points.

This meant Zimbabwe’s 5-0 win in Harare on September 4, 1994, courtesy of a double from Vitalis Takawira and other goals from Kennedy Nagoli, the late Francis Shonhayi and the late Adam Ndlovu, was wiped away from the statistics.

And, their 2-0 win over Maseru, courtesy of goals from Agent Sawu and Isaac Riyano, was also nullified.

Cameroon, who had lost 0-2 in Lesotho, were the biggest beneficiaries, as the Indomitable Lions saw that loss also being nullified by the CAF authorities.

In the end, the Warriors’ impressive 4-1 thrashing of the Indomitable Lions in Harare, with Takawira scoring a hattrick, and the late Paul Gundani grabbing the other goal, counted for nothing, as the Warriors ended two points adrift of both Cameroon and the DRC.

What also didn’t count, in the end, were the goals by Adam and Peter Ndlovu, in the 2-1 home win over the DRC.

Somehow, the curse struck again, in the next AFCON qualifiers when the Warriors, under the caretaker guidance of Bruce Grobbelaar, got their campaign, in style, with an impressive 3-0 win over Sudan, in Khartoum.

However, on January 16, 1997, Sudan withdrew from the qualifiers, due to unrest in the eastern part of the country, and three priceless points, and three goals, for the Warriors, were wiped off the statistics, after that game was nullified.

In the end, once again, the Warriors fell short, in the qualifiers, as they finished their campaign on four points, two adrift of second-placed Angola, who accompanied group winners, Ghana (seven points), to the ’98 Nations Cup finals.

Now, about 25 years later, the curse appears set to strike again, later this month.

The Warriors are set to take on Botswana and Zambia, in the final two qualifiers for the 2021 AFCON finals, with the Zimbabweans holding an advantage over their two neighbours.

But, where Ebola in the DRC, and unrest in eastern Sudan, derailed their campaign, back then, this time, it appears the Covid-19 pandemic, could crush the hopes of the Warriors for a third straight Nations Cup finals appearance.

With regulations in England and France robbing the Warriors of some of their finest players, there are fears coach Zdravko Logarusic, will be forced to field a makeshift side, for the last two assignments.

It’s a scenario, which puts the Warriors at a disadvantage, and – as the team’s best friends – we believe this should not be allowed to happen, especially given the Nations Cup is the biggest tournament on the continent.

That is why today we launch the #POMANACUGA (PostponeMarchNationsCupGames) campaign, aimed at exerting pressure, on the new CAF leaders, who are set to be unveiled in Morocco on Friday, to reconsider having AFCON qualifiers, this month, when the playing field will not be level.

It’s our duty, as the country’s leading national newspaper, to fight in the same trenches as our Warriors because they represent us, in every battle they fight, and we also represent them, with every article we carry about their battles.

The Warriors are our team, just like the Chevrons, the only football team which, in this newspaper, is allowed to be accompanied by the word ‘’we’’ in whatever is written about them.

Where we feel they are being given a raw deal, as is the case with the 2021 Nations Cup qualifiers, we have a responsibility to raise the alarm, and voice our concern, on their behalf, to try and ensure that the playing field remains level.

Surely, an arrangement, which will force the Warriors to fulfill their final two AFCON qualifiers, without Marvelous Nakamba, Tendayi Darikwa, Marshall Munetsi, Tino Kadewere, David Moyo, Admiral Muskwe and possibly Teenage Hadebe, because of Covid-19 complications, should be resisted, at all cost.

Strangely, we haven’t heard our football leaders, the people who should have been at the forefront of raising those concerns, saying anything or writing to CAF, to complain about this pathetic arrangement where there is a possibility, we might be forced to send a weakened side, into those two big battles.

But, we are not like them, because we know what these Warriors mean to our country, and to this newspaper, and that is why we have decided to fight on their behalf, so that their promising campaign, so far, is not derailed by heartless football leaders on the continent.

For goodness sake, why should we be punished, for having players who play in the major leagues, while other countries, whose men have struggled to break into those leagues, get the benefit of doubt by a fixture arrangement that stinks?

Already, FIFA have done their part, recognising that it will be unfair for the South American countries to play World Cup qualifiers without their European-based stars, by postponing the matches set for this month.

The AFCON finals represent the biggest football showcase, on the continent, and only the teams, with the best players, rather than those who were helped by circumstances, should be there.

We kept quiet, during the ’96 and ’98 AFCON qualifiers, and ended up paying a huge price, as a country. Surely, we can’t let this happen again, when there is still enough time for CAF to have these matches, during the June international window, or when the Euros are being played, when every African country will have her best players around.