Zimbabwe: U23s Get Raw Deal

17 June 2011

Three years ago, the Ghana Football Association promoted their Under-23 squad to become their senior national team, blending them with a few experienced players to come up with a formidable side that has gained much respect worldwide.

The move paid dividends as the team managed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations and the historic World Cup tournament that was held in South Africa last year. The youthful team bowed out of the tournament in the quarter-finals after that infamous handball by Luis Suarez of Paraguay.

But it has been a different situation in Zimbabwe as our star-studded Young Warriors have been neglected for a long time.

There have been calls from soccer fans for Zifa to pick the Young Warriors who have been playing extremely well in the Zone IV qualifiers and blend them with a few experienced senior players to come up with a formidable national team.

But this has fallen on deaf ears as Zifa continues to neglect the younger players.When the Warriors played Mali, Zifa made an effort to book them at Cresta Lodge, one of the most expensive hotels in the country, but the Young Warriors are either booked at lodges or they are made to use the Zifa Village for accommodation.

As I write, the Young Warriors are in camp preparing for their All-Africa Games qualifier against South Africa housed at the Zifa Village which they will be forced to leave to pave way for the Mighty Warriors who would also want to use the venue for preparations for their next match.

The senior national team players complained about the US$30 allowances that there were getting per day, but it’s even worse for the Young Warriors as they get a paltry US$10 per day.After the Mali match, the Warriors got money from Zifa which saw each player pocketing about US$3 500. But it never rains but it pours for the Young Warriors who almost had their day spoilt when playing Botswana at home.

The issue about their allowances was a topical issue on the Sunday morning which they were preparing to play Botswana.

After a convincing 6-3 aggregate win over Botswana, the Young Warriors struggled to get part payment of their allowances of US$10 per day, and for four days and there were no winning bonuses for that match. The Young Warriors claim they were promised a qualification lump sum whose figures they say they have not been given yet.

The only winning bonus that the boys got was a part payment for their Zambia tie. They were promised US$300 each but only got half of the amount.

It’s high time we start valuing our own future stars as some of them have actually started showing signs of great things to come.

All the names we can talk about today in local football, from Agent Sawu, Peter and Adam Ndlovu, Benjani Mwaruwari and Alois Bunjira, to Knowledge Musona, Khama Billiat, Vusa Nyoni and Tapuwa Kapini have passed through this juniors phase. Lest grow another generation now!

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