Zimpapers Logo

Blessing Malinganiza-Sports Reporter

ZIMBABWE international defender, Teenage Hadebe says friendly matches are always vital for team-building for the national teams. 

Hadebe was speaking ahead of the Warriors’ trip to the Four Nation tournament in Lilongwe, Malawi this week and also featuring Kenya and Zambia. 

The games will be used as part of preparations for the resumption of 2026 World Cup qualifiers in June. 

Currently on a short contract at the Turkish side, Konyaspor, Hadebe believes this is a great opportunity for the coaches to work on combinations and assess the players without pressure. 

The Warriors will be under the guidance of FC Platinum and Ngezi Platinum coaches Norman Mapeza and Takesure Chiragwi who were appointed for this trip only with Zifa indicating a substantive technical department will be confirmed soon. 

“They allow the coaches to assess the players’ performances. We need these preparations but I just hope they keep organising similar games even against other countries so that when we get to the World Cup qualifiers we will be sharp,” he said. 

“It’s been long since the team played friendly matches which I believe can be key in building combinations within the squad. 

“Currently our squad is on the transition where we have new blood coming in, so it is important to have the guys with more experience guiding and leading the new guys in games like this. 

“Our opponents have been doing well respectively and we will have something to learn from them. 

“Zambia and Malawi made a good statement of themselves in the 2023 AFCON and will be looking forward to facing them and seeing how well we can respond. Not taking away anything from Kenya as well, they will also be an interesting opponent to face. 

“Facing other opponents is better than us just getting in camp by ourselves alone week in and week out which doesn’t give a true reflection of the team’s progress. 

“Every team is unpredictable and we would want to do our best to win every match and give our all, not only in other matches but in all of them. 

“All three games in the tournament are going to be difficult so I can’t say if we are going to lose or draw but all I can say is that we are going to try our best in every single game. 

“Football is evolving. There are no longer small teams, the team which you call small might surprise and we approach all games with equal respect, “he said. 

Hadebe says it’s always an honour to be part of the Warriors squad at any given stage and is always ready to defend the country’s badge. 

“Honestly, it’s always exciting to be part of the Warriors squad at whatever level you can imagine. “It’s always important for me to come up and help the team and we have to use this as an opportunity to be ready for the World Cup Qualifiers. 

“For me, I don’t mind who is coming and who will I be playing with in the National team. “Our country has talent and we have proved that over the years, we have players who are doing good in Europe as well back in our local league. What is best is just to have the best squad available.

“We are players who want to do their best for the team.