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Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
ZIMBABWE’S Warriors finally got down to business yesterday, putting aside the turmoil that rocked the start of their preparations for their African Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with the senior team holding training sessions at Rufaro.

The Warriors are expected to fly out to Blantyre this afternoon to face the Flames of Malawi in a Group L encounter at Kamuzu Stadium on Saturday.

It is certainly not the sort of preparations any national team would have wanted, but the Warriors tried to make the most of the little time they have with coach Callisto Pasuwa and his men having two workouts at Rufaro where they will also hold another session this morning.

Despite all the problems that have rocked their preparations, including even struggling to access Rufaro for their training and securing a bus from their hotel, the Warriors were in high spirits.

Their slew of problems reached crisis levels on Monday and eventually attracted Government intervention, with Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Andrew Langa striking a deal that ended the impasse between Pasuwa and his employers.

The Government yesterday also facilitated in securing five-star accommodation for the squad at Rainbow Towers, while efforts are also being made to secure funds to cater for the team’s allowances.

If the mood at their training is anything to go by, the Warriors seem to have quickly shifted their attention to their bid for a place at the 2017 Nations Cup in Gabon.

It will be a long journey between Saturday and next year when the Warriors would have to also face Guinea and Swaziland home and away in their quest to emerge the Group L winners.

But before they can think of the fixtures against Guinea and Swaziland, Pasuwa and his men have the Flames to take care of in their own backyard.

Yesterday, the Warriors coach who had last week walked away from his job before matters reached crisis levels on Monday, was happy to have all but two of the 19-men he had called up for the tour of duty to Malawi.

Sweden-based striker Nyasha Mushekwi has been ruled out because of a calf injury while Kaizer Chiefs forward Mathew Rusike did not turn up for camp.

Pasuwa saluted his players for heeding the call for national duty at a very short notice and said he had addressed them on the challenges the team was facing but stressed on the need to remain focused on the showdown with the Flames.

“I have all the players now except Mathew Rusike and I really don’t know what the problem with him is and the team manager (Shariff Mussa) is working on establishing the reasons behind his absence. Nyasha is ruled out, he told the manager that he had not recovered from the calf muscle injury he picked while playing for his club,’’ Pasuwa said.

The 44-year-old coach said he was also using the short stint he has with the players before the game to assess their fitness levels and devise a strategy for the assignment in which Zimbabwe are looking for a positive start to the campaign.

Group L action begins tomorrow night when Guinea host Swaziland on neutral soil at the Complexe V Mohammed in Casablanca, Morocco.

Although the Warriors will have the benefit of knowing the result of the opening Group L game between Guinea and Swaziland, they are aware that what matters most is how they will acquit themselves against their regional rivals.

Zimbabwean fans will probably also recall how Malawi wrecked the Warriors qualification bid for the 2008 Nations Cup after losing their opening game 1-0 in Blantyre via a Moses Chavula strike.

Despite the players having to assemble at very short notice, Pasuwa said he was happy with the “players’ attitude and commitment’’.

“I am happy with the spirit that these players have shown. I have also held a long discussion with them and I told them of the financial problems that are there and that we have to contend with. For now all we want to do is go out there and give it our best.

“I have been preaching nearly every day that preparations should be adequate. The preparations count most and if we prepare well, then we have chance of getting good results. We could have been beaten Malawi in previous matches but again we need to do better in our preparations so that we get results this time.

“At the present moment we have a tendency of grinding results, without even training. We are saying we are going out again to get a result without proper preparations and it’s bad for Zimbabwean football.

“In football you normally play the way you would have prepared,” said Pasuwa.

Pasuwa said because their preparations had started and game time was fast approaching his emphasis was now on what they need to do to overcome the Flames.

“I told them that we have a job to do and that we have been assured that something is being worked out to address the problems that are there.

“I think they understood where we are coming from and in my view they are ready to go and do a job,’’ Pasuwa said.

It also emerged that the Warriors coach was by last night trying to rope in former Harare City talisman Silas Songani who now plays for Danish top-flight side Sonderjyske.

Songani is currently in the country as are a host of many of the foreign-based professionals.

While Songani is expected to join in today and complete the travelling party, the task of leading the Warriors search for goals will now fall on Mamelodi Sundowns striker Cuthbert Malajila and Belgian-based Knowledge Musona, who will front the attack.