Zimbabwe national team coach Klaus-Dieter Pagels is resisting calls to include the Kaizer Chiefs duo of Willard Katsande and Kingston Nkatha in the team that will face Egypt and Guinea in next month’s World Cup qualifiers. Zimbabwe’s Warriors will face Egypt on 9 June in Harare before travelling to Conakry to play Guinea the next weekend. The German coach has been under immense pressure from Zimbabwean soccer fans to consider Katsande and Nkatha, who have both been instrumental in helping Chiefs to win a League and Cup Double. Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter considers Katsande “the best holding midfielder playing in South Africa” while Nkatha’s seven League goals makes a strong case for his inclusion in the Zimbabwe national squad. But with Zimbabwe already out of contention for a place at next year’s World Cup – they are bottom of Group G with one point – Pagels has opted for younger, less-experienced players, mostly from the country’s local League. And while Chiefs will still be represented by Matthew Rusike and Lincoln Zvasiya, the omission of Katsande and Nkatha has outraged supporters, torching debate on whether or not the German coach regards the South African topflight League seriously. “The fans may be unhappy but every coach has his own ideas, and he has the liberty to choose players he thinks will suit his own style of play. Maybe both Katsande and Nkatha don’t fit into Pagels’ own (German) style of play,” Collin Matiza, a Zimbabwean football writer told KickOff. “When Pagels was appointed, he made it clear he wanted to start from scratch, without some of the players in the South African League who have failed to make an impact for the national team. “If he fails, he will be asked to pack his bags and then another coach will come in with his own ideas and maybe he will bring back the old guards like Katsande and Nkatha.” Egypt national team manager, Bob Bradley, has announced the Pharaohs 30-member provisional squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The Pharaoahs are scheduled to start a closed camp in El-Defaa El-Gawi stadium today to finalise their preparations for the anticipated games, before flying out to Harare next Wednesday. The holders of three successive African Cup of Nations Cups, 2006 and 2008 and 2010, are playing Botswana friendly in Cairo 4 June, five days before the clash with the Warriors in the return leg of the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers. They are leading Group G of the African qualifiers, five points clear of second-placed Guinea, while Mozambique lie third with two points, one ahead of bottom side Zimbabwe. Their squad included 11 players from Zamalek as Hazem Emam – who played one international against Malawi in a friendly in 2009 - was the most notable name from the Whites squad. Zamalek’s under-fire goalkeeper Ahmed Al- Shennawi was also a surprise inclusion despite being criticised by the Egypt management for walking away from a league game this month. Fiorentina defender Ahmed Hegazi has been recalled after a six-month layoff with injury, even though he played no more than 18 minutes since last December. A first-ever call-up has been handed to young defender Ali Ghazal, who plies his trade with Nacional of Portugal, as well as Ahli center-half Saad Samir. There was no place for Ahmed Hassan ‘Koka’ of Rio Ave. Ahli trio Emad Meteb, Geddo and Mohamed Naguib were all left out due to injury, while the fit-again Walid Soliman was not recalled. Bidding for their first ticket to the football most prestigious tournament since 1990, Egypt will face Zimbabwe and Mozambique in two away games on 9 and 16 June respectively. The squad: Goalkeepers:Abdel-Wahed El-Sayed, Ahmed El-Shennawy (Zamalek) and Sherif Ekrami (Ahly) Defenders: Ahmed Fathi, Wael Gomaa, Ahmed Shedid Qenawi, Saad Samir (Ahly), Mahmoud Fathallah, Mohamed Abdel-Shafi, Omar Gaber (Zamalek), Ahmed Elmohamady, Ali Ghazal (C.D. Nacional), (Sunderland) and Ahmed Hegazy (Fiorentina) Midfielders: Hossam Ashour, Abdullah El-Said, Mohamed Abou-Treika (Ahly), Ibrahim Salah, Hazem Emam, Ahmed Eid Abdel-Malek, Mohamed Ibrahim, Nour El-Said (Zamalek), Amr Soulaya (Ismaily), Tareq Hamed, Ahmed Hamoudy (Smouha), Ayman Hefny (El-Geish), Mohamed El-Nenny (Basel FC) Strikers: Ahmed Hassan Mekky (Haras El-Hodoud), Ahmed Gafar (Zamalek), Mohamed salah (Basel) and Ahmed Temsah (Dhofar) CM
Posted on: Wed, 29 May 2013 08:11:08 +0000
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