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Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
ZIMBABWE’S Warriors would have to keep waiting and hoping for the day they will share the financial spoils of their brave run at the African Nations championships as Zifa maintain that they are still to receive their prize money from the Confederation of African Football.

The Warriors managed to go beyond the group stages at a Caf tournament and eventually ended fourth at the Orange CHAN tournament which ran in South Africa from January 11 to February 1.

It was the third time that Zimbabwe were taking part at CHAN having been to the inaugural tournament in Cote d’ Ivoire in 2009 under Sunday Chidzambwa and also participated at the Sudan competition two years later with Madinda Ndlovu in charge
In South Africa, Ian Gorowa’s men came-a-cropper against West African giants Nigeria who beat them 1-0 in the Third place play-off at the Cape Town Stadium on February 1.

They had earlier lost their bid for a place in the final when losing in a semi-final penalty shootout lottery to eventual winners Libya at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein following a frustrating goalless draw after extra time.

Libya, the tournament’s surprise packages won the third edition of the CHAN tournament in dramatic fashion having secured victories through the penalty shootout lottery in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of the competition.

Although they failed to win any of the three medals that were on offer at the CHAN tournament, their brave run endeared the Warriors with their fans both in South Africa and those who followed the action on television back home.

Despite turning into instant heroes and reviving the romance between the national team and its legion of fans, the Warriors continue to wait anxiously for their pay day from the CHAN tournament and cash-strapped Zifa said yesterday they could only give Gorowa and his men their share of the spoils when the association receives the US$250 000, which the Warriors earned for their fourth-place finish.

The Herald has it on good authority that Zifa have already agreed to give the Warriors squad US$100 00 to share from that prize money.
Zifa communications manager, Xolisani Gwesela, said yesterday the association had been forced to put the issue of the Warriors remuneration on hold temporarily until confirmation of the transfer of the prize money had been made.

Gwesela said Zifa were not the only participating association that was still to receive the prize money from Caf.
“We have not received anything from Caf just like any other nation that participated. However, we are optimistic that Caf will transfer the money as soon as they are done with their logistics,’’ Gwesela said.

Gwesela also commended the Warriors for their patience and appealed to them to “remain calm while awaiting the Caf disbursements’’.
“We appeal to our beloved Warriors to remain patient and calm and they are assured of their funds,’’ Gwesela said.

The Zifa spokesman also said they were still weighing the opportunities available to them to utilise the next Fifa date for international friendlies amid indications that Uganda, Rwanda, Gabon, Malawi and Botswana had expressed an interest in having a run against the Warriors.

“We are still looking at various logistics required for us to play that friendly. We are confident that we will utilise that date and we will communicate our position in due course,’’ Gwesela said.

Gwesela said should an international match materialise on March 5, Zifa would not put restrictions on the number of foreign-based players to be considered despite the association’s still reeling from a huge financial crisis.

“It would be up to Gorowa to include whoever he wants for the assignment. We take pride in the independence of the technical team,’’ Gwesela said.