By Tafadzwa Chigandiwa
The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has approached the continental’s football supremo, Confederation of African Football (CAF) appealing for the kick off time for the Warriors’ qualifier match against Zambia to be changed.
The Warriors are set to host Chipolopolo of Zambia at the National Sports Stadium in Harare on March 29, 2021.
The decisive AFCON qualifier fixture which was originally scheduled to start at 9pm.
However, the country’s football mother body has engaged CAF to adjust the kick off time to 3pm.
“We have engaged CAF to no avail regarding the change of kick off time for the Zimbabwe vs Zambia Afcon qualifier match from 9pm to 3pm,” reads part of the statement by ZIFA.
The statement was issued in response to an article in The Herald lobbying for the postponement of the upcoming AFCON qualifier games.
The reason for the campaign which has been launched by the country’s oldest newspaper as the #POMANACUGA (#PostponeMarchNationsCupGames) to reschedule the qualifier games, was in connection with the effects of Covid-19 pandemic that has resulted in countries in putting in place travel restrictions.
These travel regulations have blocked some players from travelling to their native countries for national team duty.
Clubs, with the support from FIFA which said no club was obliged to release players, have officially refused to release some players.
The move has resulted in Warriors head coach Zdravko Logarusic suffering a huge blow since more than half of the Warriors’ squad key players’ respective clubs have refused to release them.
The United Kingdom where Marvelous Nakamba, Tendai Darikwa, Jordan Zemura, Adam Chicksen, Admiral Muskwe and Brendan Galloway ply their trade has put in place a strick travel policy.
The same applies to France where striker Tino Kadewere turns out for Olympique Lyon.
These players will miss the crucial two qualifiers that could help Zimbabwe book a spot at the rescheduled AFCON tournament in Cameroon in January 2022.
