Three talking points as Scottland dominate Warriors provisional squad

Three notable absentees have dominated the talking points after Warriors head coach Ramon Catala named his 32-man provisional squad for next month’s back-to-back 2027 AFCON Qualifiers against Equatorial Guinea.

Headlining the omissions is veteran goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze, who has once again paid the price for costly blunders at national team level.

It comes as no surprise that Chipezeze has been omitted, with the goalkeeper having been exposed to massive criticism dating back to 2019 when he conceded four goals, three of them howlers, in Zimbabwe’s defeat to the DRC at the AFCON finals.

ELVIS CHIPEZEZE PAYS THE PRICE FOR HIS BLUNDERS

Elvis Chipezeze against DRC at the National Sports Stadium. Picture by ZIFA

Chipezeze was in the spotlight in the last round of qualifiers, conceding goals that were deemed suspicious as Zimbabwe beat Sierra Leone 3-2 away before losing 2-1 at home to the Democratic Republic of Congo at the National Sports Stadium.

The Magesi FC goalkeeper, who first endured a torrid time at the 2019 AFCON finals in Egypt where he conceded four goals against DRC, three of them howlers, has been dropped, with ZPC Kariba’s Future Sibanda taking his place alongside Nelson Chadya and Martin Mapisa.

The second major shock is the omission of left-back Divine Lunga. The Mamelodi Sundowns defender, who featured as a substitute in both matches against Sierra Leone and DRC last month, has been enjoying decent game time in the Betway Premiership and his absence comes as a surprise.

NO DIVINE LUNGA, NO ISAAC MABAYA

Isaac Mabaya in action. Picture by Liverpool FC

Lunga has been one of the most consistent players for the Warriors, amassing over 30 caps and cementing his place as Zimbabwe’s first-choice left-back in a direct battle with Jordan Zemura.

Zemura, however, has often been deployed in a more advanced role for the national team, leaving Lunga as the natural defender on that flank. He has now been replaced by Hardrock FC captain Tinotenda Muringai.

Another surprising omission is Isaac Mabaya. The England-based fullback was drafted into the last squad for the Sierra Leone and DRC encounters but missed both matches due to injury. It is a surprise that he has not been retained in the provisional squad after being in Catala’s initial plans for the previous round.

EIGHT SCOTTLAND PLAYERS DRAFTED INTO THE SQUAD

While the omissions grab the headlines, Scottland FC dominate the squad list. The reigning Castle Lager Premier Soccer League champions have contributed the most players, eight in total, to the provisional squad, underlining their dominance on the local scene.

The Scottland contingent is led by the Musona brothers, Knowledge and Walter, and includes goalkeeper Nelson Chadya, defenders Kelvin Moyo, Peter Muduhwa and Emmanuel Jalai, and midfielders Abubakar Moffat and Mihokozisi Msebe.

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