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Nation Dube

Sports Reporter
YOUNG Warriors stand-in coach Nation Dube has attributed their poor run at the on-going African Games in Congo to the last-minute withdrawal of key players and a host of problems they encountered since their arrival in Brazzaville.

Dube, who is presiding over the national Under-23 side in the absence of his boss and Warriors gaffer Callisto Pasuwa at the 11th African Games, has watched in agony as he his charges fell by identical 1-0 defeats to Burkina Faso and Sudan in Group A.

Those defeats left the Young Warriors at the bottom of the log standings and out of contention for a semi-final slot of the tournament for which they won a silver medal on home soil in 1995.

Dube, speaking from Brazzaville, argued last night that he believed the Young Warriors could have easily secured a place in the knock-out stage had they adequately prepared and travelled with the same arsenal that had helped the team qualify.

The Hwange coach also revealed the he is not amused with the kind of treatment that his Young Warriors have received during their stay in Congo, including claims that they were forced to travel for their matches on a shuttle bus assigned to those staying at the Games Village when their opponents were accorded exclusive transport.

Zimbabwe will wind up their Group A campaign with a date against hosts Congo tomorrow but Dube warned it would not be an easy ride in the park as they would want to bow out with at least a win.

But the soft-spoken coach noted that he had a tough task on his hands to also try and motivate the players.

“We have a number of challenges here which did not help with our preparations.

“We had problems accessing training grounds, problems securing a team bus to training and especially for matches, feeding times on match day were not conducive for players and generally there was little motivation,’’ Dube said.

Dube said the Young Warriors’ plight was also not helped by the fact that they had encountered injuries to some players while key striker Mcini Sibanda eventually failed to travel to join his teammates after staying behind to recover from illness.

Highlanders striker Sibanda had been expected to lead the Young Warriors’ attack but he was down with chicken pox at the time the bulk of the Team Zimbabwe delegation left for Brazzaville.

Dube also felt that the last minute decision by Premiership champions Dynamos and their rivals FC Platinum to withdraw players who had featured prominently in the qualification campaign had weakened the Young Warriors.

Dynamos withdrew goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva and midfielder Carlos Rusere, only agreeing to release an injured Blessing Moyo for Team Zimbabwe duties.

FC Platinum, seemingly taking a cue from DeMbare also recalled defender Kelvin Moyo and the pair of gritty midfielder Gerald Takwara and Marshal Mudehwe.

The two sides will meet in back-to-back clashes in the next two weekends starting with a Premiership showdown at Mandava today before they lock horns in a Chibuku Super Cup quarter-final.

But playing against Burkina Faso and Sudan proved a tall order for the rookies and they subsequently fell, with their opponents grabbing late winners in the matches and from set pieces.

Dube bemoaned the lack of seriousness that was attached to his side, which he reckons is rich on potential.

“If we had brought our best team, we were going to bring a medal home, we dominated the two games but immaturity cost us. We have been using different players in unfamiliar positions due to injuries, there has been no depth really.

“If we had put some importance into these Games we would be far by now because the teams we are playing against have been in camp for more than a month.

“We still have one more game against the hosts and we are trying to psyche the players up. The game will not just be a walk over for Congo because we have told the players to play for their pride,’’ Dube said.