Zimbabwe: Valinhos Wields the Axe
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The Herald (Harare)
26 August 2008
Posted to the web 26 August 2008
Petros Kausiyo
Harare
Warriors coach Valinhos, under pressure to win the 2010 World Cup and African Cup of Nations qualifier against Guinea at home in two weeks' time, has made drastic changes to his squad and wielded the axe on a number of regular players.
Zimbabwe host Guinea in a Group Two encounter at Rufaro on September 7, which the Warriors must win in order to keep alive their hopes of progressing to the final qualifying round for places at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the African Cup of Nations in Angola earlier in the same year.
The Warriors were left in a tight spot after they were held to a 0-0 draw by Kenya at Rufaro -- a week after they slumped to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the same Harambee Stars side in Nairobi.
With only the group winners assured of a ticket into the final qualifying round, the Warriors find themselves in an unenviable third position behind Guinea and Kenya.
The best eight runners-up will also qualify.
The results and the current Group Two standings have left Valinhos under immense pressure to ensure the Warriors breathe life into the senior team's campaign for their remaining two matches against Guinea at home and Namibia away.
The Brazilian yesterday responded by making drastic changes to his squad and brought in a number of new faces.
Valinhos wielded the axe on the Belgium-based midfield trio of Cephas Chimedza, Vusa Nyoni and Honour Gombami.
In the squad released by national teams manager Sharrif Mussa yesterday, Valinhos also dropped strikers Takesure Chinyama, who plies his trade in Poland, and South Africa-based Kingstone Nkatha.
Mussa said the 23-man squad would begin camp on September 1.
"We want camp to begin on Monday 1 September before lunch and the players should report to the Zifa office or contact me to find out further details pertaining to the camp," Mussa said.
But one of the biggest casualties in the Warriors squad that has been doing duty in the senior team's World Cup campaign is gangly midfielder Harlington Shereni, who is playing in France.
Mussa said the coach was looking at new options.
"The coach has looked at players like Vusa, Harry (Shereni) and Cephas and feels that now he wants to look at other options.
"Cephas had also earlier indicated to me that he has retired from international football.
"As for Honour, the coach feels he should be allowed more time to fully recover from the injuries that have been troubling him by playing more club football," Mussa said.
The Warriors have, however, already been rocked by the injury of captain Benjani Mwaruwari which has also forced the Manchester City striker to sit out the start of the 2008-09 English Premiership season.
But Mussa said Chinyama and Nkatha, who made substitute appearances in the games against Guinea (away) and Kenya (at home), had been dropped after failing to impress the coach.
"The coach has also looked at Takesure and
Nkatha and feels that they did not satisfy him as
well as he would have wanted so he will consider
them in future assignments, but certainly not for this game".
Valinhos, still searching for solutions to an attack that has struggled to fire goals, has recalled former Motor Action striker Musa Mguni.
The lanky striker, who has had an on-off relationship with the Warriors, recently moved from Cyprus to Dubai.
With Benjani ruled out by injury, veteran Orlando Pirates forward Gilbert Mushangazhike is actually the only surviving striker from the attack that started this World Cup campaign.
Mushangazhike's brace against Namibia at Rufaro on June 8 are the only goals that the Warriors have to show for their industry in the four games they have played to date.
Valinhos has included home-grown strikers -- Edward Sadomba of Dynamos and Highlanders
hitman Cuthbert Malajila -- who will now vie for places in the Warriors front line with Mushangazhike and Mguni.
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Valinhos also recalled Cyprus-based defender Noel Kaseke and appears to have been convinced by Tapuwa Kapini after watching the Platinum Stars goalkeeper in action during the Warriors' 1-0 win over Botswana in an international friendly at Rufaro last week.
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