Warriors Coach: Mhlauri

NATIONAL team coach Charles Mhlauri yesterday said he was not prepared to release Portsmouth hotshot Benjani Mwaruwari during the African Cup of Nations finals starting in Egypt on January 20. Speaking from the Warriors’ training base in Auxerre, France the former CAPS United coach said Zimbabwe will hold on to Mwaruwari despite indications that English Premiership strugglers Portmouth needs the robust striker. “I simple can't lose Benjy during the Nations Cup, I want all the players in Egypt and that includes Benjani. However, he has not approached me telling me that he wants to go to Portsmouth during the Nations Cup in Egypt. “I’m only reading it in the press and I don’t act on those reports,” said Mhlauri.

The dreadlocked mentor is getting his powers from the Federation of International Football Associations (Fifa) regulations, which prohibit clubs from using players when they are needed for national duty.

Ivory Coast, another African country participating at the Nations Cup last Saturday successfully prevented their players Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue from playing for Arsenal in the FA Cup third round match against Cardiff.

Mwaruwari, who joined Pompey last week in a club record 4,1 million pounds deal, is under pressure to join his struggling new club who consider the bustling forward as the answer to their relegations worries.

The Fratton Park side are currently on position 18 on the 20-team log.Reports on Monday quoted Mwaruwari saying he wanted to skip the African Cup of Nations for Pompey.

“I do not want to turn my back on my country. But I want to start my career in England and help Portsmouth get out of relegation trouble. I’m talking to the Zimbabwe manager and so are the club. But it is not easy,” the former Jomo Cosmos striker said. The Warriors are in Group D with Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal. They play their opening match against Senegal on 23 January in Port Said followed by a battle against the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the same venue four days later. They play their final group match against 2006 World Cup qualifiers Ghana in Ismalia on December 31.

Mwaruwari is not the first player from Africa to be in the club versus country predicament. Reigning African Footballer of the Year Samuel Etoo was not sure whether he was going to be in Egypt until last week following his fantastic form with Spanish champions Barcelona while players like Michael Essien of Ghana were to shuttle between Egypt and England where he plays for English champions Chelsea.


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