Zimpapers Logo

Robson Sharuko–Senior Sports Editor

A NUMBER of Warriors were prepared to foot £2 500 hotel bills to cover the cost of their 10-day stay in quarantine in the United Kingdom on their return from national duty. 

It’s one of the amazing stories, which have emerged, underlining how many of them were desperate to serve their country during the 2022 World Cup campaign, which gets underway on Friday. 

The depleted Warriors will host Bafana Bafana at the National Sports Stadium in the first World Cup qualifying battle between the Limpopo rivals, in exactly 20 years. 

The South Africans won the last one 2-1 at the FNB Stadium on March 2001, with Peter Ndlovu on target for the Warriors, while Shaun Bartlett and Benni McCarthy, scored for Bafana Bafana. 

Incredibly, the Warriors will be seeking only their first World Cup group victory since beating their namesake, the Brave Warriors of Namibia 2-0 at Rufaro, on June 8 2008. 

Gilbert Mushangazhike scored twice that afternoon to provide the only high point of a miserable 2010 World Cup campaign. 

Onismor Bhasera is the only player, among those who featured in that World Cup qualifier, likely to be involved against Bafana Bafana. 

Goalkeeper Washington Arubi, who is the other player still involved in the national team set-up, was an unused substitute, in that match. It’s a throwback to a different era, for the Warriors, when their starting XI featured the likes of Energy Murambadoro, David Kutyauripo, James Matola, Esrom Nyandoro, Harlington Shereni and Joseph Ngwenya. 

But, what had started on a promising note, after they held Guinea to a draw in Conakry, faded badly as Valinhos and his men lost in Namibia and Kenya, to add to a home draw, against the West Africans. 

The Warriors were winless in their six 2014 World Cup group games, losing five of them, including back-to-back defeats at the hands of Egypt and Guinea, and two tame draws against Mozambique. 

A 2-4 home loss to the Pharaohs brought into focus the challenges they faced in that campaign, under German coach Klaus-Dieter Pagels. Liverpool superstar, Mohamed Salah, scored a hattrick, in that match. 

It soon got worse when the Warriors were expelled from the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, without kicking a ball, paying the price for the sins of ZIFA’s failure to settle the US$58 000 owed to Valinhos. 

They almost met the same fate, ahead of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, only for Wicknell Chivayo, who was a ZIFA benefactor back then, to provide the US$180 000 needed to pay Tom Saintfiet, for coaching the Warriors just for a day.

The Belgian gaffer was deported from this country, a day after it emerged he had trained the Warriors without a work permit, amid fissures within the ZIFA board, over his shadowy recruitment. 

A shock defeat, to Somalia, in the first leg of their preliminary round, handed the Warriors probably their worst possible return to the World Cup qualifiers, after the lifting of their ban. 

But, Khama Billiat’s sensational late winner, in the reverse leg, at the National Sports Stadium, ensured they dumped the Somalis, from the qualifiers, and booked their place in the group stages. 

However, ahead of their first group match, against Bafana Bafana on Friday, the Warriors camp has been in turmoil, with many of the players, which coach Zdravko Logarusic, wanted for this showdown, being forced to withdraw from camp. 

The Croat will have to do without all the United Kingdom-based players, including midfielder Marvelous Nakamba, who have been barred from playing in the qualifiers. 

Jordan Zemura, who now commands a first-team place in the starting XI at English Championship side AFC Bournemouth, is the other player unable to fly home for the World Cup qualifiers. 

Wigan captain, Tendayi Darikwa, was also barred from representing his country which means that, at the age of 29, he has yet to feature in a World Cup qualifier. 

Darikwa, who broke international football four years ago, was not involved in the preliminary round match against Somalia. 

At the weekend, The Herald was given a brief of what has been happening, behind the scenes, with many of the UK-based players so desperate, to represent their countries, they even committed themselves to settling the cost of their quarantine. 

“The point is that had these boys come home, for these qualifiers, it means, according to the UK Government regulations, when it comes to Covid-19, they were supposed to go into a 10-day quarantine, on their return to their bases,’’ said sources. 

“It costs about £2500 to cover the costs of such a stay in isolation and these guys were so desperate, to come and play for their country, they told us, they were willing to pay that cost from their pockets. 

“It shows how determined they are, to try and help their country to qualify for the World Cup that they were even prepared to run a personal cost, if that was the only way they could come and play for the national team. 

“Of course, some people will say that £2500 is not a lot of money, for professional footballers but, really, it’s not about the money but it’s about the commitment, it’s about their passion, their willingness to help their country.

“If you look at the whole lot of guys who had been invited from the UK, I think you are talking about the whole quarantine bill coming to more than £20 000, which these boys were ready to foot, and that’s significant. 

“You also don’t just have to think about the money but the strain, of staying in quarantine for 10 days, and these boys were ready for that lonely life, just to be here, because they felt it was a sacrifice they were worth to take, for the sake of our World Cup. 

“It takes a lot, in terms of mental issues, for one to stay in isolation.’’