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Tendai Ndoro

Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
WARRIORS’ hopes of playing competitive games before the end of the year have been dealt a blow following the cancellation of the Council of Southern African Football Associations (Cosafa) Cup.According to a statement from the regional football motherbody, financial constraints led to the tournament which had been scheduled for Botswana from September 13-28, being called off.

“Due to financial and logistical constraints, the Cosafa Cup, which was due to be played in Botswana in September 2014, has had to be cancelled.

“Cosafa is very grateful to the Botswana Football Association, and in particular to president Tebogo Sebego, for the huge efforts made to actualise this tournament,” Cosafa president Suketu Patel said.

The development should be sad news to Zimbabwe’s football lovers who were hoping to catch a glimpse of what the future national team might look like as expectations were high that Under-23 players would form the bulk of the squad for the Cosafa Cup.

Since the Warriors were embarrassingly booted out in the first round of the 2015 Afcon preliminary qualifier by Tanzania after a 2-3 aggregate defeat last month and the senior women’s team knocked out of the 2014 African Women’s Championship after losing to Zambia 0-2 on aggregate, there will be no action for national teams unless Zifa gets friendly games.

National teams’ failure to make it for continental competitions has no doubt infuriated Zimbabwe’s soccer lovers.

What further irritates the sport lovers is the fact that there are no activities for women’s soccer as well as the failure for boys’ Under-17 and 20 teams to be considered for the continental competition after failing to fulfil international assignments.

The only positive note about the cancellation of the regional competition which Zambia won last year after beating Zimbabwe in the final is that the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League will not be interrupted and clubs will be having full strength squads.

For the Cosafa Cup held in Zambia last year, the Warriors then coached by Dieter Klaus Pagels, Zimbabwe fielded locally based players which saw league action taking a break.

It was after the tournament that Tendai Ndoro caught the eyes of many South African clubs and was eventually signed by Mpumalanga Black Aces.

The Cosafa Cup has always been a good podium for scouts to look for local talent and they will be hoping that the proposed November or December dates for the regional tournament come to fruition.

“In the meantime Cosafa is pleased to report that it has now secured the necessary resources to host a tournament in November/December of this year. One of the requirements of the commercial partners is that the tournament is played in their country, and Cosafa has written to the relevant national associations to seek permission to host the 2014 Cosafa Cup in their territory.

“Currently we await response to our request which has been promised by the end of this week, after which we will make a full press briefing on this matter,” reads Cosafa’s statement.

Hopefully this will not raise false hope for members of Cosafa as during the same period the regional tournament will be preparing to host the annual boys’ Under-20 competition.