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BACK WITH THE BIG BOYS . . . Peter Moyo has joined his Warriors teammates for the CHAN tournament

Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
HIGHLANDERS star midfielder Peter “Rio’’ Moyo joined the Warriors camp yesterday as the senior team continued with their intensive training ahead of the African Nations Championships finals in South Africa early next month. Moyo, named in coach Ian Gorowa’s 29-man squad that is preparing for the CHAN tournament had been conspicuous by his absence when camp began last week amid indications that he was in South Africa for trails with Bidvest Wits.

With the Warriors technical crew insisting that players who may be moving out of the country needed to clarify their positions, there were some anxious moments last week on whether or not to continue including the dreadlocked Bosso midfielder for the CHAN tournament.

Gorowa has already been forced to release Harare City talisman Silas Songani from his initial squad as the recently crowned Premiership Soccer Star of the Year runner-up has now set his sights on trial stint in Denmark which will coincide with the CHAN tournament group games.

Another Bosso player — Bruce Kangwa had earlier also withdrawn from the squad to focus on his impending wedding.
Gorowa and his lieutenants have already indicated that they would not stand in the way of players who might strike deals to join clubs outside the country but they have warned that a haphazard movement of players in and out of camp for trials would not be accepted.

Warriors team manager Shariff Mussa, however, said they had not encountered serious problems to date over player movement with the Harare businessman revealing that Moyo had been the latest addition to the players who are undergoing an intensive training regime before they fly out to South Africa. Mussa said he was also happy to note that the coaches had expressed satisfaction with the way the players have responded to their training regime which includes specialised morning and evening gym sessions as well as on field workouts.
“So far so good and Peter Moyo has now joined camp and everything seems to be progressing well.

“We have said to the players that they need to let us know of possibilities that are coming their way where there is something concrete and we outlined this to them on the second day of camp.

“Since we had that meeting only Silas Songani wrote to the coach and asked to be excused because he has shifted his focus to his trials that will be in Denmark. We have said to the rest of the players that they would rather tell us on time than waste our time if they know they are not going to be with us during the CHAN competition,’’ Mussa said.

The Warriors manager said the intensive training regime had already started bearing fruit with some players shedding some weight while those that needed to beef up were also gradually gaining in weight.

“The programme of intensity that the coach has put them through has already started to bear fruit because there are specialised training programmes and diet for those that are supposed to gain weight and those that are supposed to lose some weight and when I spoke to the coaches they were happy with the progress so far and obviously it is always desirous to have a longer camp but we have to make do with what we have’’.

Mussa said although they were still expecting to play warm-up matches against Libya at the National Sports Stadium on January 4 and Gabon in Johannesburg three days later, they had already put in lace a Plan B to continue with their training programme of the games fail to materialise.

Libya had initially wanted to host the Warriors in Morocco and later Tripoli on December 13 before the game seemed to have been called off.

But Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze last week said the match had been revived with the North Africans who will also compete at the CHAN tournament opting to now stop-over in Harare on their way to South Africa.

The Warriors have also lined up a date with Gabon in Johannesburg after which they would then fly out to Capet Town where their group will be based.

Zimbabwe are the top seeds in a Group B that includes Morocco, Burkina Faso and Uganda with Gorowa’s men starting their third successive CHAN appearance with a clash against the Atlas Lions at Athlone stadium on January 12. With FC Platinum forward Charles Sibanda, CAPS United goalkeeper Tafadzwa Dube and Dynamos striker  Simba Sithole having taken part in the last CHAN competition under Madinda Ndlovu in Sudan two years ago, the Warriors are not so short on experienced players for next year’s onslaught.

Other players like goalkeeper George Chigova, Eric Chipeta, Tawanda Muparati and Hardlife Zvirekwi have gained some international experience by playing in the World Cup qualifiers, Cosafa Cup and Champions League competitions.