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Peter Rio Moyo

Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
THE disappointing Zimbabwe senior men’s national soccer team has a chance to redeem lost pride by including South Africa-based players and send a formidable squad to the 2014 Cosafa Cup in Botswana. Last year Zimbabwe had to rely on locally based troops for the Cosafa Cup finals in Zambia because of the unavailability of foreign-based players.

However, for this year’s edition which will run from September 13-28, the Warriors who have won the regional competition four times just like Chipolopolo, have received a shot in the arm following the decision by South Africa’s Premiership to suspend league action for two weeks of the 2014 Cosafa Cup tournament.

The tournament falls outside the Fifa calendar meaning clubs are not obliged to release players, but with the South African Premiership having taken a decision to suspend league action, teams will avail their best players.

Zimbabwe is not the only country that is likely to benefit from the development as Zambia, Botswana, Malawi and Namibia have a number of their players plying their trade in South Africa.

“South Africa’s Premier Soccer League (PSL) have done the incoming national team coach a favour by suspending league action for the two weeks of the 2014 Cosafa Cup that will be staged in Botswana from September 13-28. The domestic top eight final will be played on September 20 in the middle of the competition, but aside from players from the two teams involved in that clash, the new Bafana Bafana coach will be able to select players from the rest of the PSL for the event, giving South Africa the opportunity to field their strongest squad in years.

“This is especially important for the national team as the Cosafa Cup falls between the second and third rounds of the qualifying stages of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. It will give the coaches of the respective Cosafa nations additional time to work with their home-based players at least.

“…The decision of the PSL is also good news for the likes of Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia and Botswana, who have a number of their top players plying their trade at South African clubs,” reads a statement from Cosafa.

South Africa will have a new coach at the Cosafa tournament after their football association announced last week that they would not renew the contract of incumbent Gordon Igesund.

Zimbabwe’s South Africa-based players that might form the core of Warriors’ 2017 Afcon campaign and who are likely to be included in the Warriors’ trip to Botswana include Mpumalanga Aces striker Tendai Ndoro, 29,  Ajax Cape Town forward Simba Sithole, 24, Mamelodi Sundowns bound Kudakwashe Mahachi, Khama Billiat, Milton Ncube, Peter “Rio” Moyo and George Chigova.