The Warriors performed dismally in the Cosafa Cup in South
Africa where they bowed out of the competition without registering a win.
Zimbabwe played four games, drawing 0-0 against Mozambique,
sharing the spoils in a 2-2 stalemate against Malawi, losing 2-0 to Namibia and
2-1 to Senegal.
Calls for Zifa to fire Loga have intensified, with
statistics heavily staked against the Croat, who has only one win in 12 games
in charge of the national team.
His only victory was a 1-0 win over Botswana in an Afcon
qualifier that secured Zimbabwe’s qualification for the finals in Cameroon next
year.
In an audio that has gone viral, Loga said the media has
been attacking him without understanding the gist of the Warriors’
underperformance in the Cosafa Cup.
“Let me just say a few things about the Cosafa tournament,
we lost five starters even before the tournament started. The day before
leaving, Knox Mutizwa decided not to come on the last training, Evans Rusike
got injured. Kelvin Moyo, two days before decided not to come. Can you imagine
our team with Kelvin Moyo as our central defender, Knox and Rusike as strikers?
And then Perfect (Chikwende) and Godknows (Murwira) tested positive to Covid-19
before leaving.
“Perfect as right winger, Godknows left full-back, Kelvin
Moyo as a central-defender, Evans Rusike and Knox as strikers, I think that’s
the team that should be up there together with Ovidy (Karuru), Jimmy Dzingai,
Washington Arubi and two or three young boys. But that team never came to
Cosafa because five players decided not to come because of this and that. In
the middle of nowhere we just called five other young boys to give them
exposure,” said Loga.
He also blamed Cosafa organisers for the fixtures, alleging
they worked against Zimbabwe.
“And then we realised somebody made fixtures at Cosafa that
didn’t fit us at all. Somebody made fixtures like (the) biggest enemy, like
someone doesn’t want Zimbabwe to pass group stage. Can you imagine we played
four international games in six days? Even much better and prepared teams can’t
do it. First two games we had two draws because we had energy and after that
(the) energy disappeared because injuries came, fatigue came and Covid-19,”
said Loga.
He said there were positives from the Cosafa Cup as they
identified players he intends to call-up for the World Cup qualifiers as well
as some who will feature in the Chan qualifiers.
Some players whose contracts with their clubs are about to
expire also attracted interest from South African clubs, a move he says will
widen the Warriors’ selection base.
“When I came here as a coach, our main target was to
qualify for the Afcon. I did it. They said coach we need to qualify for the
World Cup and I said we’ll come close and we’ll do it. Other tournaments like
Chan and Cosafa should be tournaments to check other players. Those statistics
you’re talking about are of players who haven’t played league and had no proper
preparations. Accept those things without looking for excuses.
“I’m begging you; we have to be positive. The World Cup
qualification is coming and we have to stay as a unit like we did with Algeria
and Botswana and that’s the way we are going to make progress,” Loga said. Chronicle
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