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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter

WARRIORS fans yearning to don the new national team jersey are becoming impatient following the delay by Umbro, which is yet to deliver replica jerseys and playing kit to Zifa.

With about a week before the senior men’s national team takes on Congo in their final Afcon qualifier at the National Sports Stadium on March 24, fans are eagerly waiting for delivery of the new kit.

 Last month Zifa official kit sponsor, Umbro, gave the national association nine options to select designs for the gear national teams will don, promising to deliver the kit and replicas in time for the Congo game.

The English sportswear and football equipment supplier and Zifa signed a three-year deal that will see it providing a full consignment of training equipment, travelling gear and playing kits for all national teams, including women and various age-groups.

Umbro will supply new kit for each of the national teams’ games as well as provide replicas for sale.

Zimbabwe National Soccer Supporters’ Association (ZNSSA) interim Bulawayo wing secretary-general Trust Jim said they have been inundated with calls from fans keen on getting the replica jerseys.

“We’ve received a lot of calls from fans asking about the replica jerseys because they want to wear them for the Congo game. The fear that most fans have, especially those from outside Harare, is that maybe few replicas will be released and taken up by supporters in the capital and by the time we go for the game we will find them sold out,” said Jim.

ZNSSA interim Bulawayo chapter chairman, Carlmarx Nkomo, challenged Zifa to speed up the process, adding that the national association “is letting go a good opportunity to make money” by failing to get replicas onto the market.

“Our counterparts in Harare have had a meeting with Zifa president Felton Kamambo, who said everything is under control, but there is a general feeling that the national association is failing to capitalise on this game. You know the frenzy ahead of this important game is what drives supporters to spend and we thought Zifa would’ve cashed in and sold lots of the replicas ahead of the Congo game. Almost everyone who will attend next weekend’s game wants the new jersey and our fear is that after the game, the demand for the replicas will not be as high as it is now,” said Nkomo.

Kamambo last month indicated that they were expecting to sell one million replica jerseys in batches of 250 000 per quarter, which will see the cash-scrapped association raking in about $3 million.

Zifa spokesman Xolisani Gwesela said: “Everything is under control with regards preparations for the Congo game. About the kit, we will issue a statement soon.”

Meanwhile, Nkomo called on Bulawayo- based Warriors supporters to buy their tickets at the Zifa Southern Region office in Bulawayo where they went on sale yesterday.

“We are grateful to Zifa who have made ticket available at the Southern Region office which is in Bulawayo. We are calling all the fans who are yet to buy the tickets online to go and buy at the Bulawayo offices.

“As the Bulawayo Chapter, we are organising transport for fans to and from Harare, with the return ticket going for $60. Those who want to travel and enjoy the road trip frenzy can either contact me on 0773267040 or our interim secretary-general Jim on 0773383703,” said Nkomo.

Gate charges for the Warriors and Congo game to be held at the National Sports Stadium are $10 for the rest of the ground, $50 for bay 15-18 and $200 for the VIP. — @ZililoR