The ManicaPost
Blessing Rwizi Sports Correspondent
PREPARATIONS for the 2017 edition of the AfroBasket qualifiers to be held this weekend in Harare are now at an advanced stage despite two foreign players being unable to join the rest of the team.
Mutare-based national basketball squad assistant coach, Innocent ‘Stoltz’ Sithole, confirmed that the foreign-based duo of Vitalis Chikoko and Julian Mavunga would not be jetting in for the games.
He said considering the little time left before the games, the team had resorted to slotting in two more locally based players into the team.
The games will be held at the City Sports Centre starting tomorrow (Saturday) to next Saturday.
“We would have wanted to have these two players in the team, but indications are that they will not be able to fly here on time for the games. In that case we will have two locally based players to cover up these positions.
“Preparations are now at an advanced stage as we are almost ready for our first game against Mozambique.
“Botswana has pulled out of this weekend’s qualifiers due to lack of funds to finance the trip to Zimbabwe.
“That has left us to battle with Mozambique and Madagascar for the sole ticket to the AfroBasket Championships slated for Congo Brazzaville later this year,” said Sithole.
Basketball Union of Zimbabwe faced a challenge in bringing in Chikoko and Mavunga to Zimbabwe because clubs reserve the right not to release players if the request does not come at least 30 days before the international engagement they are being called up for.
The AfroBasket qualifiers were only confirmed late last week.
“There was a delay from Fiba Africa in releasing the dates and venues of the qualifiers and this really affected our preparations as we were unable to state, for sure, when we will need these players.
“We have sent out our requests, and the ball is now in the players and their clubs’ courts,” said BUZ secretary-general, Joe Mujuru.
He added: “Look, in as much as we would have loved to have these guys here with us for the games we also have 15 extremely talented locally based players in camp. We qualified for the 2015 AfroBasket finals with more or less the same guys and went on to make just two additions when we went to Tunisia for the finals.
“This alone speaks volumes of the talent we have at our disposal and we have every confidence in the current crop of locally based players we have in camp.”
Chikoko’s agent, Peter Mubanda, said the Pau Lac Orthez player was ever ready to play for the national team, but would not force his club into releasing him.
“There is always a problem when it comes to this stuff. On one end you have Vita really eager to come and play for his country and then there is the club that wants to win games. Hopefully, we will be able to find some common ground with the club and secure his release,” he said.
