Kaizer Chiefs withdraw Edmilson Dove from COSAFA Cup
In a late twist, Kaizer Chiefs have withdrawn key defender Edmilson Dove from the Mozambique national team squad just ahead of their opening match in the 2024 COSAFA Cup in Gqeberha.
Dove, who was slated to start tonight’s match against Bafana Bafana at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium [kick-off 18:00], will now miss the entire tournament.
This development comes after Chiefs, Dove’s club, requested that the Mozambique FA withdraw him from the squad.
In a statement released just two hours before kick-off, the Mozambique FA revealed that Chiefs only provided their response regarding Dove’s availability for the COSAFA Cup on Tuesday afternoon, leaving little time for adjustments.
Meanwhile, in an interview with SABC Sport in Gqeberha, Dove, whose contract with Chiefs expires at the end of the month, confirmed his participation stemmed from national pride and a desire to represent Mozambique in the regional competition.
But Chiefs’ actions suggest that they intend to retain the defender’s services. Interestingly, back in August 2022, Dove’s impressive performance at the very same tournament—the COSAFA Cup in Durban—caught the eye of Amakhosi, ultimately leading to him joining the club.
CHIEFS BLOCK DOVE’S COSAFA CUP PARTICIPATION
“Mozambican international left-back Edmilson Dove is out for the COSAFA Cup, which starts today and runs until July 7 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa,” reads the statement.
“Edmilson was supposed to face South Africa tonight, but he has not been allowed by his club, Kaizer Chiefs .
“In response to the letter/request from FMF, sent last June 19, the club only spoke yesterday, the 25th, at 15:50. FMF is sorry for the late response.”
However, FARPost has it on good authority that Chiefs withdrew Dove due to their desire to have all members of the squad present for the entire pre-season, particularly with the imminent arrival of new coach Nasreddine Nabi, who needs to evaluate all players.
While coach Nabi is currently winding up his stint with Morocco’s AS FAR Rabat, his technical team has already arrived in South Africa. This includes Fernando Da Cruz, the soon-to-be-announced assistant coach, Ilyes Mzoughi, the goalkeeper’s coach, and Majdi Safi, the former Wydad Casablanca strength and conditioning coach.
Reports also suggest that the ‘Phefeni Glamour Boys’ are planning a pre-season trip to Turkey soon, where they’ll undergo rigorous training for the upcoming season, aiming to break their nine-year trophy drought.
RELATED STORY: What Tico-Tico Bucuane thinks of Edmilson Dove’s stint at Chiefs