Diaspora-born Zimbabwean Footballers Should Respect Their Country - Loga
Zimbabwe national football senior men’s team coach Zdravko “Loga” Logarusic said that Zimbabwean footballers born abroad should love to play for the country where their parents were born.
The Croat was speaking amid reports that some footballers born to Zimbabwean parents in the diaspora, among them Reading midfielder Andy Rinomhota, Jordan Zemura of AFC Bournemouth and Queens Park Rangers forward Macauley Bonne – all playing in the English Championship – have expressed reservations over playing for the Warriors.
Loga revealed that he has contacted the “British Brigade”, with some players, however, not even responding to his messages while others have given lame excuses. He said:
Some of them do not even respond to my messages, while others are giving lame excuses. You have to be proud of playing for your country. If you have doubts then you are not welcome.
We are not going to beg anyone . . . We do not want players with no desire to play for their country. I can confirm that a few players didn’t show desire and we are looking elsewhere.
A player has got to have respect for the country where his parents were born or where he was born, simple.
Loga has also spoken to Nottingham Forest defender Tendayi Darikwa, Kundai Benyu (Wealdstone), and Adam Chicksen (Notts County).
The Warriors visit the Desert Foxes in Algiers on November 12 before hosting the African champions at the National Sports Stadium four days later.