Warriors frustration fuels Jonah Fabisch

Sport
The 21-year-old midfielder, who is part of the Under-21 side at German second tier club HSV Hamburg, was an unused substitute in the Warriors’ Group G matches against South Africa and Ethiopia.

BY DANIEL NHAKANISO

GERMANY-BASED midfielder Jonah Fabisch says he has nothing, but fond memories of his experiences in the Warriors camp during last week’s Fifa World Cup qualifiers despite his frustration at being made to wait longer before making his international debut for Zimbabwe.

The 21-year-old midfielder, who is part of the Under-21 side at German second tier club HSV Hamburg, was an unused substitute in the Warriors’ Group G matches against South Africa and Ethiopia.

Fabisch first sat out the goalless draw against Bafana Bafana at the National Sports Stadium on September 3 before Warriors coach Zdravko Logarusic hinted that the youngster would get an opportunity in the away fixture against Ethiopia four days later.

Logarusic, however, decided not to give the former Germany youth international an opportunity as the Warriors crashed to a last gasp defeat in Bahir Dar.

Opening up on his experiences with the national team after his return to Germany, Fabisch said he was naturally annoyed about his lack of playing time.

“Of course I’m disappointed,” Fabisch told the German newspaper Achrichtend.

“I wanted to lend a hand to the team. It hurt all the more not to have played after the defeat in Ethiopia.”

The youngster now hopes to be selected for the two international matches against Ghana in October.

Until then, Fabisch wants to continue to play well at HSV.

He has, on several occasions, been invited to train with the Hamburg SV senior team, which currently plays in the second tier of German football.

Apart from his disappointment at the lack of game time with the Warriors, Fabisch said he enjoyed the experience of being part of the Warriors squad as he fulfilled his wish to play for the country of his mother’s birth.

The player said he was fascinated particularly by the singing in the Warriors team bus and the changing room on matchdays.

“I got to know African football. There were a lot of new impulses and impressions that brought me further,” said Fabisch.

“On the way to the stadium, all the players sang loudly. The national team’s bus rides to the World Cup qualifiers were particularly unusual to me, it sounded like gospel singing.

“You are asking God to give you the strength you need for the game ahead.

“Much of the tension was released which was fantastic! In Germany, of course, I had no experience with anything like that. ”

And more importantly: “It made me feel really good before the game.” It’s wonderful to be part of something like this. ”

Fabisch is the son of the late Warriors Dream Team coach Reinhard and former Zimbabwe athletics star Chawada Kachidza.

 

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