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Eddie Chikamhi

Senior Sports Reporter

ZIFA turned down an opportunity provided by Mozambique for the Warriors to take on the Mambas in a friendly international, this week. 

It has emerged the Mozambique Football Federation got in touch with their local counterparts requesting for an international sparring match, this coming weekend. 

A letter dated May 6 reveals the Mozambicans, who are also involved in the second round of the World Cup Qualifiers, wanted to battle the Warriors in Maputo. 

They also indicated that they were going to take care of Zimbabwe’s welfare, during the weekend game, and had pledged to field their strongest squad, for the match. 

“It is with great pleasure that Mozambique Football Association is inviting the senior football team of Zimbabwe for a friendly match to be played in Maputo on the weekend of June 5/6 2021,” read part of the letter. 

“The Mozambique Football Federation will cater for accommodation and food for the proposed friendly match. 

“The Mozambique Football Association will field our full senior team for the World Cup matches later in the year.” 

It appears the Mozambicans have since settled for Lesotho, as an alternative. 

The Mambas have scheduled an international friendly with the Crocodiles tomorrow and then Eswatini next week later in Maputo. 

There is going to be a hive of football activity across Africa, during the two-week international window, which started yesterday, when Guinea visited Turkey, for a match, in the city of Antalya. 

The Warriors will be inactive during this period. ZIFA defended the association’s decision, not to utilise the upcoming window for FIFA international friendlies, blaming lack of time, and resources, to engage sparring opponents. 

“The abrupt postponement of (World Cup qualifying) matches was too short a notice for us to organise matches, in line with standard operating procedures, during the pandemic. 

“We do not have adequate time at this stage to agree with other Member Associations for a friendly match, and to get necessary approvals even if we wanted to play. 

“The Sport and Recreation Commission requires a 30-day notice for us to be allowed to organise an international match while FIFA requires a 21-day notice for us to get authorisation to organise an international friendly,” said ZIFA spokesperson, Xolisani Gwesela. 

However, the invitation from the Mozambicans show it would have been possible to meet the SRC requirements and have a match played. 

“The astronomical amounts involved in organising matches during a pandemic, against the background of funding of national teams (or lack thereof) also forces us to carefully select matches that benefit the team while the association remains sustainable,’’ said Gwesela. 

“The economic environment is the driving force for all business operations, including media houses, and we find it mind boggling why ZIFA is always expected to be awash with money in an environment where most organisations are struggling.’’

The Warriors sit on 107th place, on the global rankings, and 24th on the continent.

Upcoming African fixtures during 

the FIFA window:

Monday 31 May: Turkey v Guinea, Antalya

Wednesday 2 June: Mozambique v Lesotho, Maputo

Niger v Togo, Antalya

Thursday 3 June: Algeria v Mauritania, Blida

Friday 4 June: Cameroon v Nigeria, Vienna

Rwanda v Central African Republic, Kigali

Saturday 5 June: Cape Verde islands v Brazil Olympic team, Belgrade, Eswatini v Lesotho, Maputo, The Gambia v Comoros, Antalya, Guinea v Togo, Antalya, Cote d’lvoire v Burkina Faso, Abidjan, Tunisia v DR Congo, Senegal v Zambia, Dakar

Sunday 6 June: Algeria v Mali, Blida

Monday 7 June: Rwanda v Central African Republic, Kigali

Tuesday 8 June: Benin v Zambia, Cotonou, The Gambia v Togo, Antalya, Guinea v Kosovo, Antalya, Morocco v Ghana, Rabat, Mozambique v Eswatini, Maputo, Senegal v Cape Verde Islands, Dakar

Thursday 10 June: Guinea Bissau v Cape Verde Islands, Bissau, South Africa v Uganda, Johannesburg

Friday 11 June: DR Congo v Mali, Tunis

The Gambia v Kosovo, Antalya, Guinea v Niger, Antalya, Mauritania v Liberia, Tunis

Sudan v Zambia, Khartoum, Tunisia v Algeria, Tunis

Saturday 12 June: Ghana v Ivory Coast, Cape Coast, Morocco v Burkina Faso, Rabat

Sunday 13 June: Tanzania v Malawi, Dar-e-Salaam

Wednesday 16 June: Tunisia v Mali, Tunis

Thursday 17 June: Mauritania v Djibouti, Doha