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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter

ZIFA has not officially requested the Government to expedite the issuance of passports to the ‘‘British brigade’’ players called up by the Warriors technical staff.

Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Cain Mathema said the Government would assist when approached, but each application would be carefully scrutinised. 

“Every person who applies for a Zimbabwean passport ought to follow procedure and these are international procedures not dictated by the Zanu-PF government. We have to be very careful. Who is really applying, all sorts of considerations have to be made,” said Mathema on ZBC radio’s Classic 263 responding to a caller who’d questioned why Government wasn’t assisting Zifa as it did in the case of former Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar during the Dream Team era. 

“Bruce was born in Bulawayo, he was not a foreigner. In any case, if the Warriors want people, how come they have not written to the Registrar General’s office or to the secretary (permanent secretary) or even to my office explaining what it is that they are talking about,” said Mathema. 

The Warriors have been struggling to acquire travel documents for the players and ahead of the 2018 Total Africa Cup of Nations finals in Egypt, the squad had to drop in-form Macaulay Bonne after being frustrated by the Registrar General’s department in acquiring a passport.

This time around coach Joey Antipas called up seven United Kingdom and Germany based players that don’t have Zimbabwean passports as part of his 32-man squad for the upcoming Afcon qualifiers against Botswana and Zambia.

Antipas called up Tivonge Rushesha from Swansea City’s developmental side, Jordan Zemura, who is in the books of Bournemouth’s Under-21 outfit, Stockport City’s Douglas Nyaupembe, Adam Chicksen of Bolton Wanderers, Cliff Moyo, Charlton Athletic’s Bonne and Jonah Fabisch, who plays for Hamburger SV in Germany.

They become the latest United Kingdom-based players to retrace their roots following in the footsteps of Tendayi Darikwa, Aleck Mudimu, Admiral Muskwe and Moyo.