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begin preparations for the crucial Africa Cup of Nations home qualifier against Mali early next month.
The Warriors badly need a win in this game, the first of two back-to-back home ties, which will also see them hosting Liberia before completing their campaign with an away date against Cape Verde.
The senior national team will also have to start planning for the start of the 2014 World Cup finals which, for the Warriors, will get underway on November 11 this year.
The Warriors are one of the 24 lowest ranked African nations in the race for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and will, as part of Caf’s new qualification process, play in a preliminary elimination tie with the first leg on Friday, November 11, and the return leg on Wednesday, November 15. Twelve winners from the preliminary round elimination ties will join 28 other teams in the main draw for the 2014 World Cup. The 40 teams will be divided into 10 groups, featuring four teams, with the group winners going into the final stage of the qualifiers. The 10 group winners will be drawn against each other with each team playing two games – one home and one away match – in the final play-off stage with the five winners getting their ticket to Brazil.
But, before Mapeza starts thinking about the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, he needs to sort out the mess in the 2012 Nations Cup qualifying race. He has recalled the experienced Mamelodi Sundowns skipper, who missed the previous leg in Bamako, in one of the few changes made by the Warriors’ technical team yesterday.
Motor Action goalkeeper Marlon Jani was also called up following a good run in the Premiership, in which he has kept seven clean sheets from eight games, to help the Mighty Bulls maintain their position on top of the table.
Warriors’ manager Sharif Mussa yesterday announced a largely unchanged squad comprising a bulk of foreign-based professionals like Tinashe Nengomasha, Vusa Nyoni, Khama Billiat, Justice Majabvi, Willard Katsande and Ovidy Karuru.
Zimbabwe will host Mali in Harare on June 5 and Mussa said since most of their players based in South Africa conclude their league programme this weekend, they had hoped for a two-week camp beginning next Monday.
“We are in a sketchy situation in terms of preparations but we would have wanted our squad assembled early and start our preparations on the 23rd (next Monday).
“We want to have more time with the players in camp but this is subject to availability of funds from Zifa. Most of the players are winding off their leagues this week and we should take advantage of this scenario.
“But this also depends on the availability of the players as some would like to sort out their contracts while others will be involved in social responsibility programmes with their clubs. If that happens to be the case, then we will have to assemble on May 29 and begin camp the following day,” said Mussa.
Zimbabwe suffered a spate of injuries in the run up to the March 26 game, which they lost 1-0 in Bamako, but it appears most of the players have recovered and will be available for selection. The technical team, however, could not consider Plymouth Argyle leftback Onismor Bhasera and Dynamos’ centreback Guthrie Zhokinyi who are both down with injuries. Bhasera, who had knee ligament surgery in London last month, will be out for an undisclosed period. The first three months of 2011 season have been a torrid time for Bhasera who could have moved to either Blackpool or Crystal Palace in January but was denied a chance by a knee injury suffered during a league match against MK Dons in the England First Division.
Bhasera sat out six matches before returning, as a substitute, in the 2-1 home victory over Colchester United on February 26.
But he succumbed to a knee injury, which forced him to undergo surgery, and effectively ruled him out of action for the remainder of the season.
But Cyprus-based defender Noel Kaseke, CAPS United’s Gilbert Mapemba and Costa Nhamoinesu, who plays for Zaglebie Lubin in Poland, have bounced back after falling victim to injuries ahead of the previous match.
The wingbacks are joined by Qadr Amin, unheralded Blue Ribbon rightback Tapiwa Kumbuyani, Daniel Veremu and the South Africa-based duo of Method Mwanjali and Thomas Sweswe in defence.
Prolific Kaizer Chiefs’ marksman Knowledge Musona also returns to the fold after recovering from a shoulder injury while in-form Al Hilal forward Edward Sadomba and Nyasha Mushekwi retained their places.
Inactivity continues to haunt striker Cuthbert Malajila who has been holed up in Harare since civil war broke out in Libya in March.
Malajila, who occasionally trains with Dynamos was unable to return to Libya to resume his career with Al-Akdhar, and this has affected his chances of getting a call up while Premiership top goal-scorer Simba Sithole was given the nod. The Warriors are third in the table with two points from three games and need an outright win, at least, to manage the gap between them and Cape Verde who have seven points. Their opponents, Mali are on six points and currently occupy second place with Liberia anchoring the table on one point.
Squad:
Goalkeepers – W. Arubi, T. Kapini, M. Jani
Defenders – M. Mwanjali, T. Sweswe, C. Nhamoinesu, D. Veremu, Q. Amin, N. Kaseke, G. Mapemba, T. Kumbuyani
Midfielders – T. Nengomasha, E. Nyandoro, V. Nyoni, Q. Antipas, K. Billiart, J. Majabvi, W. Katsande, O. Karuru
Strikers – K. Musona, N. Mushekwi, E. Sadomba, S. Sithole.