The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) are attempting to lure Khama Billiat out of international retirement just weeks after his shock decision.
Billiat, 31, announced his decision after the last FIFA International break where they finished rock bottom in Group G of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers with two points from six games alongside Ghana, South Africa and Ethiopia.
Despite the disastrous campaign, his decision raised eyebrows due to The Warriors qualification for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations set for Cameroon next month.
But team manager Wellington Mpandare admits they are in discussion with the Kaizer Chiefs forward amid the chaotic events that saw the ZIFA board suspended by the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) and reinstated upon appeal to the administrative court a week later.
“Billiat will always be part of the national team, we were in the process of engaging him before the ZIFA board was suspended. Actually, myself and two of the board members were meant to fly to South Africa to engage with Khama Billiat to be part of the AFCON team,” Mpandare tells iDiski Times.
“He was part of the qualifying games, he helped the team qualify for AFCON. We still feel he will give us something in the AFCON tournament, he has experience, he’s played at the highest level, he’s in top form at club level – who wouldn’t want a Khama in that form playing for his country?
“We’re just waiting for a way forward from the authorities. But we’ll definitely fly to South Africa to engage Khama, he’s Zimbabwean and you know he loves Zimbabwe and I’m sure you’d expect we’d approach him in South Africa to talk to him and change his mind about retiring now.
“My thinking is that it’s best for him to retire after the AFCON tournament, he would have a record of three consecutive AFCON appearances – I think for him it would be a record so he needs to be there.”
Speculation has been rife that issues plaguing ZIFA could see them kicked out of the upcoming Nations Cup, but Mpandare confirmed they are still on course – albeit with challenges – to compete at the biennial showpiece.
“We have not stopped preparations for AFCON, we met the deadline for submission of the 40-man provisional squad, including the technical team for the 15th of November,” he confirmed.
“We’re monitoring the players so that 10 days before the start of the tournament we should be able to submit the 28 or 23 players needed for the tournament.
“The unfortunate thing is our coach that ran out after the Ethiopia game, so there’s not been any engagement with him since the ZIFA executive board was suspended.
“Nobody has spoken to the coach but we hope we get recourse in the next few days because we’re a bit behind, we’re supposed to start our camp on December 15, so this development has derailed our plans but we keep hoping for the best.”
Zimbabwe were drawn in Group B alongside Senegal, Guinea and fellow Southern African rivals Malawi for the AFCON.
©iDiski Times
