Jirira Breaks Silence After Another Warriors Missed Opportunity
US-based defender Tendai Jirira has finally opened up about the reasons he failed to travel for the penultimate Afcon qualifiers against Botswana and Zambia last month.
The 29-year-old natural left-back who had been drafted in the Warriors squad for the penultimate Afcon qualifiers against Botswana and Zambia respectively after an impressive season with Detroit City, was expected to fill up the left-back position in the absence of regular wingbacks of Divine Lunga, Ronald Pfumbidzai and Jordan Zemura who were not available due to different reasons.
However, Jirira didn’t arrive in Harare, as expected, despite having given green light to travel by his club under difficult circumstances, forcing the Warriors technical team to call up veteran left-back Onismor Bhasera as an emergency replacement.
Now Jirira has revealed how he was left stranded and heartbroken in Ethiopia after failing to get a connecting flight from Addis Ababa to Harare where he was supposed to meet up with the rest of the squad before departing for Francistown.
“I was really determined to come but I could only make it to Ethiopia, after which I failed to get any connecting flights to Zimbabwe, Botswana or South Africa, ” Jirira told The Herald
The Detroit based defender ended up flying back to his base in the United States of America without reaching home for what could have been his first outing with the senior national team.
“I was hoping to finally make my debut, especially given that the last time out against Algeria, I couldn’t make the trip.
“I was really dying for the opportunity, to represent my country at this level of the game, and I am still licking the wounds after missing.
Jirira, nevertheless congratulate his Warriors teammates for the job well done after securing qualification to the 2022 Afcon finals in Cameroon.
“While I am disappointed that I failed to pitch up I am very happy and proud that the team managed to qualify. I hope that in the future, the travel restrictions would have eased and I would be able to make it if called to play for the Warriors.”
