WARRIORS team manager Wellington Mpandare says there is no
need to panic over passports for the British Brigade ahead of the start of the
2020 AFCON qualifiers next month.
ZIFA, through the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and
Recreation, have written to the Registrar-General’s Office seeking assistance.
Macauley Bonne of Charlton Athletic and Adam Chicksen of
Bolton Wanderers have never carried Zimbabwean passports.
Jordan Zemura, who is on the books of Bournemouth’s
Under-21 outfit, Kidderminister Harriers defender Cliff Moyo and Swansea
teenage sensation Tivonge Rushesha want their documents renewed.
The applications will be submitted starting Monday, with
just over a week remaining before the opening match against Botswana set for
November 15 at Barbourfields.
“We have written to the Registrar-General’s Office, with
assistance of Minister Kirsty Coventry,’’ said Mpandare.
“We went there on Monday and were told that we can only
start submitting the papers from November 4, two per each day.
“We will send the first two on Monday (next week) then the
other two on Tuesday and the remaining one for Rushesha, who has since been
ruled out by injury, on Wednesday.
“We are not in panic mode yet because the authorities have
been helpful. If anything, we are very confident that things will work out
because concerted efforts are being put into this.
“Probably, the only challenge we could face is on Bonne and
Chicksen because they need to have birth certificates first since they were not
born in Zimbabwe.’’
Chicksen was born in England 28 years ago in Milton Keynes
Dons, about 80 km north-west of London.
Bonne (24) was born in Ipswich, England. Zemura was also born in England, but had already secured a
Zimbabwean passport.
Bonne, Chicksen and Moyo have already indicated their
commitment to Zimbabwe after featuring in unofficial matches for the Warriors
before.
Mistry Chipere, who leads a group called Zimbabwe Foreign
Legends that has been campaigning for the inclusion of the players born or
raised in England, appealed to the authorities to expedite the acquisition of
passports.
“We need all the players that are eligible for Zimbabwe to
be available for the national team. This can only help to increase depth and
competitiveness. Zimbabwe has to compete at the highest level the same way the
likes of Senegal have done.
“Obviously, there could be some requirements some of these
players, born outside the country, do not have in order to acquire passports,
but we are saying some of these things should be waivered as long as it can be
proven satisfactorily that these guys are Zimbabweans. I think it’s something
that should be tackled even in parliament,” said Chipere.
Chipire also credited UK-based Zimbabwean coach Phillip
Zulu for helping him in identifying some of the British Brigade.
The Warriors are in Group H of the 2021 AFCON qualifiers
which also include the current African champion Algeria, neighbours Botswana
and Zambia.
They face Botswana in the first match at Barbourfields on
November 15, before travelling to Zambia four days later in the quest for a
fifth AFCON appearance.
The home tie against Botswana will be on November 15 at
Barbourfields at 6pm and the away match against Zambia is set for 6pm on
November 19 at the Heroes National Stadium in Lusaka. Herald
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