Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Robson Sharuko
31 October 2007
Harare — Zimbabwe's Warriors flew into the Vietnamese capital Hanoi yesterday, their second tour of duty to South East Asia in as many months, as they continued to consolidate a growing relationship with this part of the world.
This band of locally-based players, the best crop from a domestic Premiership that produced the squad that chalked Zimbabwe's only victory in a disastrous qualifying campaign for the 2008 Nations Cup finals, arrived here shortly after 10am local time. That marked the end of a taxing 23-hour journey from home that took them across six time zones, three different airlines and a trying overnight flight across the Indian Ocean.
They left home at about 7:30am on Monday - aboard an Air Zimbabwe flight to Johannesburg - took the long-haul Cathay Pacific 747-400 jumbo across the Indian Ocean on a 121/2 hour flight to Hong Kong and then, finally, another one-and-a-half-hour flight aboard a Vietnamese Airlines airbus to Hanoi. By the time they arrived in this steamy Vietnamese capital of more than three million people, the Warriors had spent slightly more than 23 hours on the road on yet another assignment in South East Asia.
For six of their teammates on this tour of duty, it was in fact a longer travelling schedule. The six - Mtshumayeli Moyo, Eusebio Manuwere, Justice Majabvi, Washington Pakamisa, Thomas Sweswe and Richard Mteki - could not get a seat on the morning Vietnamese Airlines flight from Hong Kong to Hanoi.
It meant they had to stay behind while the rest of their teammates proceeded with their trip and they were now only expected to arrive here late yesterday. The Warriors are here to play in the Agribank Cup, a four-nation tournament organised by the Vietnam Football Federation, whose winner takes home a cool US$40 000.
Hosts Vietnam, Finland and Uzbekistan are the three other teams taking part in this tournament. The Warriors will open their tournament with a date against Finland tomorrow. Uzbekistan arrived here at 4:20pm local time (about 11.20am Zimbabwe time) while Finland were expected later yesterday.
All the visiting teams are staying at the same hotel - the four-star Baoson International in the heart of Hanoi. The Warriors will play two other matches - against Vietnam and Uzbekistan - with the winner of the mini-league being declared the winners of the tournament. Zimbabwe are under the guidance of Luke Masomere - the man who guided Amazulu to their only Premiership title and who in his CV shows that he also coached Dynamos, built the foundation on which Masvingo United have shaped their remarkable campaign this season and had a forgettable stint in Botswana.
Back home after his trials and tribulations across our western border, Masomere was appointed the assistant coach of the national Under-23 team -- the group of players that the nation is banking on to play a big role in our battle to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals.
His boss -- in that national team -- is Norman Mapeza.
The former Warriors captain, who is slowly shaping himself into a good coach, should have been the one in charge of this Warriors team on this particular tour of duty.
But Mapeza decided against that national duty, which he performed admirably as he led the Warriors to that 3-1 win over Malawi that gave the nation something to cheer its spirits after a forgettable campaign to qualify for Ghana -- and felt that he had other pressing commitments.
Mapeza is battling to lead his team, Monomotapa, out of a complex relegation fight and believes that a weeklong sabbatical from his project while concentrating on national team matters would have badly distracted his boys.
That forced Zifa to offer the responsibility to lead the team to Masomere and he is ready for the task.
He found himself on centre-stage again yesterday as he answered questions thrown by the Vietnamese media soon after our arrival here.
Masomere talked about the need for Zimbabwe to build a strong team to finally take the country to a dream place at the World Cup finals and said he was excited that he was playing a small part in that process.
He said the team's tour of Vietnam should not be viewed in isolation, but as part of a long process to rebuild the Warriors into a force that could compete for a place at the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.
"We are in the process of building a team that can compete favourably for a place at the 2010 World Cup finals and that is why we have brought a team with guys with an average age of just slightly over 23," said Masomere.
But just assembling a group of the finest players that can be plucked from the domestic Premiership is one thing.
Working on it to turn it into a very competitive outfit is another.
For Zifa -- who have tried and failed to get opponents from Europe and other powerful African football nations for international friendly matches -- such tournaments like the Agribank Cup gives them an alternative option to help build such a team.
Zifa chief executive officer Henrietta Rushwaya has been here trying to sign agreements with a number of football federations in this region, which she believes will help the Warriors in the long-run.
"The focus remains to build a competitive team and that is why we are trying to give the crop of young players as many games, on the international scene, as might be possible.
"Our friends in South East Asia have been very helpful and we have to try and make the best out of what we have right now.
"This is not the time to spend hours in the office but a time to be adventurous with 2010 looming on the horizon.
"We are not the only ones who want to play these matches and so to beat the queue, we need to be aggressive and hopefully we will continue to get more of these tournaments," said Rushwaya.
This is the second trip by the Warriors to this part of the world in as many months.
A group of locally-based players also went to Malaysia recently where they took part in the Merdeka Cup -- a three-week odyssey that saw them eventually being knocked out of the semi-finals.
But while that team was competitive, it was certainly not as strong as the one that is here.
Last time, the selection options were limited because Zifa also needed to send a national team to Mozambique.
Only six of the players who went to the Mederka Cup -- including young midfielders Lionel Mtizwa and Eusebio Manuwere -- have made it on this national tour of duty.
The last time we were in Malaysia, these two midfielders were automatic choices for the starting XI.
Now they will have to fight for their places in a relatively strong team that includes the leading goalscorer in the domestic Premiership -- live-wire CAPS FC forward Kingstone Nkhatha.
The forceful striker leads the scoring charts back home after his four goals in the demolition of Chapungu took his tally to 12 for this season -- not bad for a player who started the season late because of a contractual dispute with his employers.
Method Mwanjali, arguably the best player in the Premiership right now, will once again captain this band of locally-based players.
The last time that the CAPS United players led his national team, he inspired them to that 3-1 win over Malawi in which he scored one of the best goals we have seen in Warriors' assignments.
For Mwanjali and his men, this is the time to build on their good job in the game against Malawi.
For Masomere, this is the time to remind the nation that he is still a good coach despite all the problems he faced in Botswana.
For Zifa, this is another excellent opportunity to build on the growing relationship with these South East Asian nations.
For Zimbabwe, it's yet another battle in an endless search for greatness in the jungles of international football.
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