Warriors promised increased bonus

Although the match is of no significance to the Warriors qualification for the 2014 World Cup, sources within the national team camp revealed that the Zimbabwe Football Association have offered each player $1, 500 for a win over the Pharaohs.

This is a 150 percent increase as under normal circumstances the Warriors are paid $400 or less for a win. The highest amount they were offered was a $10, 000 bonus for a win over Angola and qualification to the 2013 African Cup of Nations finals which the team unfortunately failed to make it after losing 2-0 to Angola in Luanda having won the first leg 3-1 at Rufaro Stadium.

A member of the technical team who refused to be named as he is not allowed to talk to the media confirmed they have been offered $1, 500 for a win.

Zifa Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Mashingaidze, also confirmed they have offered the Warriors ‘huge incentives’ but could not reveal the figures.

Both Zifa President, Cuthbert Dube, and his deputy, Ndumiso Gumede, are on record saying there was need to pay the Warriors better incentives to avoid match fixing.

This followed revelations that Zimbabwe players and officials were paid huge sums of money to throw away matches in favour of an Asian betting syndicate.

Although, from the outset the Warriors, are out of the run for a place at the World Cup finals, a win over Egypt would do good to the team’s pride pride and reputation as they are still to win a game in the run to Brazil in June next year.

Warriors coach, Klause Dieter Pagels, promised Zimbabwe soccer fans a completely different, better and much stronger Warriors in the game against Egypt.

The Egyptians who beat Zimbabwe 2-1 in Cairo, courtesy of a penalty scored in the last two minutes of the game, are leading the World Cup qualifiers with a maximum nine points from three games. They are followed by Guinea on four points and Mozambique on two points.

The Warriors’ next game is away to Guinea in Conakry on June 16.