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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
FOUR days after their return from a successful tour of duty, it has emerged that the Zimbabwe Under-23 squad arrived back home without the head of delegation and team manager who had all remained in Cameroon. Head of delegation Gilbert Saika, team manager Charles Mukaronda and a security officer only identified as Marange all remained holed up in the Cameroon capital.

“All of us had tickets to come back together but we were surprised when the trio said they were remaining behind, claiming that they wanted to clear the hotel bill. This again coming against the backdrop of the players not having been paid their allowances made some of us highly suspicious,” said a member of the delegation that travelled with the team.

He added: “Our concern also was what if something along the way happened, who would have assisted us with the man leading us remaining behind. We had no money as we left without a single dollar after Zifa deposited all the money into the manager’s personal account”.

Saika, the Zifa Mashonaland Central chairman, when asked why he dumped the Young Warriors by remaining behind, claimed they had to settle the hotel bill.

“We were not able to withdraw all the money at once so we had to remain behind as the team manager made numerous withdrawals until the entire bill was settled,” said Saika.

This was despite the fact that Marange went well ahead of the rest of the team as the advance party, allegedly to do some bookings for the team and Zifa should therefore have given him the money for that purpose.

The trio arrived back home on Wednesday. Sportspersons on national duty are paid for every day they are outside the country.

The victorious Young Warriors, who knocked out the continental football heavyweights from the African games, holding them to a 1-1 draw to book a ticket to Congo Brazzaville on a 2-1 scoreline, arrived back home on Monday morning together with their coaches, head coach Callisto Pasuwa, assistants Nation Dube and Saul Chaminuka as well as goalkeepers’ coach Tembo Chuma.

Meanwhile, the Young Warriors were by last night yet to receive their allowances despite the money having been deposited into Mukaronda’s account before the team left for Cameroon on April 9.

“We deposited the money into his (Mukaronda)’s personal account. Modalities for the distribution of the money are underway as some of the players don’t live here in Harare,” said Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela last night.

It is understood the boys staged a mini demonstration at their Cameroon hotel demanding to be given their allowances and the coaches had a torrid time calming them down with assurances that they will get their money soon after the match so that they could possibly do some shopping for their families back home.

Five days after achieving what many thought was an impossible feat, the heroic youngsters are yet to be rewarded for their sweat and toil.

This is the second time that Zifa has ill-treated the Young Warriors after they went for an international friendly against Morocco without any allowances.