Warriors coach picks over HALF of national team players from new PSL club Scottland FC owned by Zanu PF MP and Gold Mafia accused Scott Sakupwanya

Harare – Zimbabwe’s national football team, the Warriors, are set to face Benin and Nigeria in crucial World Cup qualifier matches, but the squad selection has ignited a fierce debate among football fans.

Coach Michael Nees’s decision to include six players from Scottland FC, a newly-promoted Premier League side owned by Zanu-PF MP and gold baron Pedzisayi “Scott” Sakupwanya, has raised eyebrows and sparked questions about the selection process.

The Scottland players named in the squad are Peter Muduhwa, Godknows Murwira, Tymon Machope, Khama Billiat, Walter Musona, and Mthokozisi Msebe. This unprecedented number of players from a relatively unknown team has left many wondering if the selection was based purely on merit or if other factors were at play.

Football enthusiasts are scrambling to understand how Scottland FC, having played only two games in top-flight football, can boast the highest number of players in the national team. Questions are being asked: Has Sakupwanya’s investment in the team resulted in a genuine concentration of talent? Or is there undue influence being exerted on the manager through political connections and financial incentives?

The Warriors are scheduled to face Benin on March 21st in Durban, South Africa, in a match considered vital for their qualification hopes. Four days later, they will travel to Uyo, Nigeria, to take on the Super Eagles, a formidable opponent.

Adding to the intrigue is the background of Scottland FC’s owner, Pedzisayi “Scott” Sakupwanya. A former Zanu-PF councillor in Mabvuku who is now the ruling party’s Member of Parliament for Mabvuku Constituency (thanks to Sengezo Tshabangu’s controversial recalls), Sakupwanya rose to prominence in 2023 when he was identified as Zimbabwe’s biggest gold baron by Prophet Uebert Angel in the Al Jazeera documentary “Gold Mafia.”

Angel, who was appointed Ambassador at Large to Europe and the Americas by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2021, made the claim to undercover reporters posing as investors. He stated that Sakupwanya was now a bigger gold dealer than Ewan MacMillan, a self-confessed gold smuggler who also featured in the documentary.

Angel even showed the reporters pictures of Sakupwanya flaunting US$5 million in cash and gold bars, claiming, “He’s right there, he’s in his house, sleeping on five million US dollars.” Sakupwanya owns Better Brands Jewellery (BBJ) and other gold dealing businesses operating in Mazowe and Penhalonga.

Despite the controversy surrounding the squad selection, Coach Michael Nees has also welcomed back Knowledge Musona, who ended his international retirement to rejoin the Warriors. Musona had previously retired in May 2022 to focus on his club career and allow younger players opportunities.

Current captain Marvelous Nakamba and goalkeeper Washington Arubi, both of whom have been battling injuries, have also been included in the squad. Other notable selections include Wolves’ Marshall Munetsi, Huddersfield’s Tawanda Chirewa, and Khama Billiat, who, like the other Scottland FC players, will be looking to prove his worth on the international stage.

Here is the full Warriors squad:

Goalkeepers: Washington Arubi (Marumo Gallants, SA), Martin Mapisa (MWOS FC, Zim), Marley Tavaziva (Brentford, England)

Defenders: Jordan Zemura (Udinese, Italy), Godknows Murwira (Scottland FC, Zim), Emmanuel Jalai (Dynamos, Zim), Devine Lunga (Mamelodi Sundowns, SA), Gerald Takwara (Al Minaa, Iraq), Munashe Garan’anga (FC Copenhagen, Denmark), Isheanesu Mauchi (Simba Bhora, Zim), Peter Muduhwa (Scottland FC, Zim)

Midfielders: Khama Billiat (Scotland FC, Zim), Marshall Munetsi (Wolverhampton, England), Andy Rinomhota (Cardiff City, England), Marvellous Nakamba (Luton Town, England), Mthokozisi Msebe (Scottland FC, Zim), Knowledge Musona (Al-Okhdood, Saudi Arabia), Tawanda Chirewa (Huddersfield Town, England)

Forwards: Prince Dube (Young Africans, Tanzania), Tawanda Maswanhise (Motherwell, Scotland), Terrence Dzvukamanja (SuperSport United, SA), Tymon Machope(Scottland FC, Zim), Walter Musona (Scottland FC)

As the Warriors prepare for their crucial World Cup qualifiers, the spotlight will be firmly on the Scottland FC contingent, who will be under immense pressure to justify their selection and silence the critics. The matches against Benin and Nigeria will be a significant test for both the players and Coach Nees, as they seek to unite the nation behind their quest for World Cup qualification.