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From Petros Kausiyo in WAD MEDANI, Sudan
CAPS UNITED striker Clive Kawinga has been ruled out of the Warriors’ must-win African Nations Championships Group B tie against Ghana tomorrow while skipper Washington Arubi is battling to regain full fitness in time for the decisive showdown.
The Warriors take on the Black Stars at the Wad Medani stadium tomorrow night (kick-off 7pm) in a crunch encounter in which neither side can afford to lose.
Both Zimbabwe and Ghana were left with a lot to do in the group after slumping to shock defeats to Niger and South Africa.
Now the two wounded sides clash in a massive encounter with either team badly in need of three points to stay in the hunt for one of the two quarter-final slots from the group.
However, Warriors caretaker coach Madinda Ndlovu will now have to make do without the man he trusted with leading the line of attack in the opening match against Niger which however, yielded a 1-0 defeat by the Mena (Antelopes).
Madinda is also fretting over the fitness of goalkeeper and team leader Arubi who must shake off a shoulder injury in time for tomorrow night’s match.
Arubi resumed training yesterday after missing Sunday’s session and indicated he was on the recovery path and was hopeful of being fully fit by the time the Warriors face the Black Stars.
Despite being breached once by Niger, Arubi was outstanding for Zimbabwe between the posts and the Dynamos goalkeeper remains one of the most seasoned players in this CHAN squad.
He has been a key member of the regular Warriors squad and played Champions League and Confederation Cup football with DeMbare and Highlanders.
While there is so much promise about Arubi being fit again to take his place between the posts, Madinda has been told by the team doctor that Kawinga, playing in his second CHAN tournament, will not be available for selection against Ghana.
Despite failing to find the target, Kawinga also had a decent game and only the brilliance of Niger goalkeeper Saminou Rabo and the woodwork denied him a chance to register his name on the score sheet.
Ironically, it was because of the collision he had with Rabo, as he went for the kill, that resulted in the thigh injury that will now keep him out of the Warriors’ second assignment.
Warriors doctor Nick Munyonga revealed after the senior team’s training in the saunalike conditions of Sudan yesterday that Kawinga would not make it on time to face Ghana but remains likely to return for Sunday’s final Group B game against South Africa in Khartoum.
The Warriors, Munyonga said, were also adjusting to the poor conditions in Wad Medani, which have also attracted heavy criticism from Ghana and South Africa.
The Black Stars’ officials have been questioning why the Confederation of African Football agreed to stage matches here when Sudan appeared not ready for the competition.
Munyonga, however, said he was still concerned that the players were having to train on hard and patchy pitches, “which exacerbate their injuries’.
The Warriors doctor, a member of the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee Medical Commission and the World AntiDoping Agency, said Kawinga had come worse off following a collision of his thigh and the Niger goalkeeper’s knee.
Madinda had to withdraw Kawinga later in the 83rd minute for Norman Maroto, as he struggled to finish the game because of the injury and Munyonga indicated that the former Eagles would have to rest.
“What Clive is suffering from is what is called a dead leg syndrome where you have had a direct and hard impact into the thigh.
“He collided with the goalkeeper and had a knee to thigh contact and he came worse off from the impact.
“He will definitely not be ready by Wednesday though there is a marked improvement on the thigh.
“Washy sat out training yesterday (Sunday) but he was able to train today.
“However, the training ground, although a bit better than the actual match venue in terms of the state of the pitch, is still hard and these surfaces tend to exacerbate injuries on such minor knocks like the one Charles Sibanda has on his knee,’’ Munyonga said.
Kawinga also revealed his disappointment at having to sit out the Warriors’ decisive match against the Black Stars.
“Against Niger we tried our best but their goalkeeper was good and sometimes when luck is also not on your side there is nothing you can do.
“Now we have to win against Ghana and I am so disappointed and devastated that I will not be part of the team, I believe this time I would have scored,’’ Kawinga                          said.
Kawinga, however, still backed his teammates to win over Ghana and stay in the competition.
“The guys have been working very hard at training and you can see that they will do something for the nation.
“Ghana are a good side and we should avoid conceding an early goal against them and I think that way it will be easier to beat them,’ said Kawinga.