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Tadious Manyepo

Sports Reporter

WARRIORS defender Carlos Mavhurume has implored his teammates to prove that they really miss football by prolonging their stay in the CHAN finals currently underway in Cameroon.

Zimbabwe take on Burkina Faso tomorrow in their second match knowing that a defeat could signal the end of their campaign in this fiesta which is exclusively reserved for players plying their trade in their respective domestic leagues.

The Warriors are already on the back foot having lost their opening fixture 0-1 to hosts Cameroon on Saturday night and a successive loss could spell disaster for a Warriors side coming from adverse football conditions in the country attributable to the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is the first time that all but one player is kicking a ball in an organised competition as the league back home in Zimbabwe is on suspension since pre-season last year due to the new coronavirus epidemic.

And for emerging star defender Mavhurume, who played a blinder against Cameroon on Saturday night, the Warriors should be inspired by the need to play more games given they have been starved of action for over a year.

“For us, as the Warriors, we have several factors to push us into doing well. Of course, our preparations were somehow hampered by the outbreak of Covid-19 in our camp but rather than looking at that as a negative, it should as well be a source of inspiration,” said Mavhurume.

“When you look closely at all the 16 participants at this tournament, you will realise that Zimbabwe’s players have kicked the ball in organised competition fewer times than others.

“What it simply means is that our hunger for the game should push us to do well in this tournament.

“Yes, we committed some marginal errors in our opening match against Cameroon last Saturday and despite a largely disciplined show, we came out bruised and empty-handed.

“But, that’s already water under the bridge. The only way to redeem ourselves and especially the tournament is to get all the points in the match against Burkina Faso. I believe each and everyone of us wants more games at this tournament and the only way to do so is by winning games and advancing to the next stages.” Burkina Faso are, like the Warriors, a wounded lot after their 0-1 loss at the hands of Mali in their opener on Saturday.

They, just like Zimbabwe, gave everything on the pitch but somehow fell short and they have since declared their intention to collect the maximum points in tomorrow’s game against the Warriors to get their campaign back on the road.

“We know that Burkina Faso will be out for a fully-fledged war in the pitch against us. We know how good they are and we are aware that they will be hunting for the three points just like us.

“But, like what I have said, we have more reasons than anyone in this fiesta to remain part of the cast.

“We have missed football for 13 months and we have been handed a huge chance to play the game. What we need to do is to play the maximum possible at the tournament while making our country proud as well.

“I mean there is a lot at stake in this tournament for us as the Warriors. Prior to this tournament, some of us had last kicked a ball in an organised tournament in December 2019. This is the time to play the game again and we can’t just bow out in the group stages when we know we are capable of staying up in further rounds.” Mavhurume said a victory against Burkina Faso will brighten the Warriors’ chances of progressing to the quarter-finals.

“We have to win against Burkina Faso on Wednesday (tomorrow) to keep our destiny in our own hands. This is a tournament and you can only leave a mark by posting positive results.”

After playing Burkina Faso tomorrow, the Warriors will conclude their Group A business with a date against Mali on Sunday.