Joel Luphahla On Warriors Squad Selections, "Impossible To Please Every Fan"
Former Warriors winger and current Dynamos assistant coach Joel Luphahla said it is challenging for the national team coach to satisfy all fans with his squad selections.
Luphahla’s remarks follow new Warriors coach Michael Nees’s decision to include unattached players in the squad for Zimbabwe’s upcoming 2025 AFCON qualifying matches, despite initially promising not to do so.
Nees has faced criticism for omitting locally-based players who have been performing well for their clubs.
In his 23-member squad for the matches against Kenya and Cameroon, Nees included defenders Andrew Mbeba and Teenage Hadebe, while leaving out Peter Muduhwa, William Manondo, Tymon Machope, and Khama Billiat.
Mbeba has not been playing consistently at Highlanders, and Hadebe has been unattached for over four months.
Goalkeeper Donovan Bernard, who also made the squad, has struggled in recent national team appearances.
In contrast, Manondo, Machope, and Billiat, who were omitted, are the leading goal scorers in the Premier Soccer League (PSL), each having netted 10 goals.
However, during a radio interview on Star FM with the Zimpapers Sports Hub, Luphahla defended the squad, arguing that it is fair and balanced. He said:
I think it’s a balanced and fair squad but obviously you cannot have a national team selection with everybody being in agreement.
I would have loved to see Khama Billiat in that squad, seeing how he has been playing. But I don’t know, the issue of him and the national team was going on, but I would have loved to see him bringing that experience into the team because we really need that experience especially upfront.
Locally, I would have also loved to see (Tymon) Machope given a chance because the boy has been doing very well, considering that he came into the PSL last season and has been consistent for the past two years so it’s always good that when players are doing well they get that run.
It also gives them confidence. But basically, I think it’s the same squad that was assembled when we played Lesotho and South Africa.
So, we hope for improvements from how we did then. I know we didn’t get the result that we wanted but if we can build from there, maybe with the introduction of the new coach, who knows?
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