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 Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter

WARRIORS coach, Zdravko “Loga” Logarusic, who is working on his AFCON qualifier squad due for submission next week, reckons he will rely heavily on his lieutenants to pick up the best players.

Zimbabwe date African champions Algeria in crucial back-to-back matches.

Loga has hit the ground running and is busy familiarising himself with the local football by touring the provinces.

The newly-appointed coach is in Bulawayo, together with ZIFA technical director, Wilson Mutekede.

The Warriors are set to host Algeria in Bula­wayo on March 31, just a few days after meeting the same opponents in North Africa.

The coach is also set to tour other provinces.

But the biggest assignment next week is to submit to ZIFA the squad for next month’s back-to-back AFCON qualifiers.

Zimbabwe will travel to Algeria on the week­end of March 23 before they host the African champions on the weekend of March 31.

And the coach will have to use the expertise of his local assistant coaches, who have been retained from the old Warriors set up.

However, the fate of former Warriors coach Joey Antipas, who was also appointed by ZIFA to be the first assistant, is not yet clear.

The Croatian gaffer met with Mutekede this week to discuss a host of technical issues, including the coach’s backroom staff.

It is not clear whether the Chicken Inn men­tor will continue in his role after the coach expressed discomfort with working with him.

Loga this week told The Herald that the meeting with ZIFA technical director will give more clarity about where he stands, regarding his assistants.

“For the moment, I must rely on the people who will help me,’’ he said.

‘’Zimbabwe is not a big country like Nige­ria. Everyone knows everyone in Zimbabwe football, so l have to depend on my assistants.

“I follow how things are going with the play­ers, how Zimbabwe soccer is always portrayed in the media, who is injured, who isn’t.

“But, the first opportunity might be difficult (to work with them), and it will be at the air­port because the clubs can release them just five days before.

“So, even some of them from Europe, we will have to meet them in Algeria because it’s not necessary to come here first and then go there.

“Most of them will come directly to Algeria and in Algeria we will have three training (ses­sions) and we have to do what we have to do.