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Eddie Chikamhi

Senior Sports Reporter

THE Zimbabwe national football team coach Norman Mapeza led the Warriors in their first training session yesterday to kick-start the preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations which begin in Cameroon in less than two weeks.

The Warriors, who started trooping in camp on Christmas eve, went through their paces with 24 players at the coach’s disposal. The team is going ahead with preparations for the tournament despite the threats of suspension from world football governing body, FIFA.

Team manager Wellington Mpandare yesterday confirmed that all the players that were expected to report for duty had done so except for defender Teenage Hadebe, who was still holed up in Bulawayo attending to some pressing family issues.

Spain-based goalkeeper Martin Mapisa was the last to arrive at the weekend. Five other overseas-based players led by skipper Knowledge Musona are only expected to join the squad on the final leg of the preparations in Cameroon next week.

The Warriors leave for Cameroon this Wednesday and Mapeza is expected to finalise his traveling squad by end of day, or latest tomorrow. The coach has at least three days to work with his players before departure.

“Everything is now in place for the Warriors to embark on the trip to Cameroon,” Mpandare told The Herald yesterday.

“We have almost all the players in camp except for Teenage Hadebe. I spoke to him and he indicated that he may only be able to report for camp tomorrow (this afternoon) or on Tuesday morning.

“But the rest of the players that we had expected are all here and have since undergone their Covid-19 tests in line with the Covid-19 health protocols. We have 24 players in camp.”

However, assistant coach Benjani Mwaruwari and team doctor Mthokozisi Moyo were reported to have returned positive tests during the mandatory tests and are currently excluded from the bubble.

Mapeza and his assistant coaches Taurai Mangwiro, Mandla Mpofu and goalkeepers coach Energy Murambadoro are expected to continue with the preparations today. The Warriors technical team last week named 30 players in the provisional squad for the AFCON finals.

Skipper Musona and South Africa-based defender Onismor Bhasera are the most experienced members of the team. The team suffered a big blow following the withdrawal of key players such as Marvelous Nakamba, Marshall Munetsi and newboy Brendan Galloway due to injuries.

The team’s poster boy in the past few years, Khama Billiat, also made himself unavailable for selection after announcing his retirement from international football recently. England-based defender Tendayi Darikwa also excused himself citing personal reasons.

But there has been good news also for Zimbabwe following the recovery from injury of such players as Hadebe, Jordan Zemura and Prince Dube. Warriors striker Dube missed the last six World Cup qualifiers as he was sidelined by a hamstring injury and also had surgery to treat a sports hernia injury in South Africa.

Dube demonstrated his scoring prowess in his last game for the Warriors when he scored an all-important goal against African champions Algeria in the qualifiers at the National Sports Stadium in November last year. But the only concern for Mapeza could be the player’s match fitness.

Dube and his Azam FC teammates Bruce Kangwa and Never Tigere have since checked into the Warriors camp. All the local and South Africa-based players are in camp as well. But the quintet of Musona, Tino Kadewere, David Moyo, Alec Mudimu and Zemura will fly directly to Cameroon.

Zimbabwe are looking to play two friendly games in Cameroon on January 2 and 4. They have approached CECAFA nations Sudan and Ethiopia with the proposals.

Zimbabwe’s opponents in Group B — Senegal, Guinea and Malawi — have since announced their pre-tournament roadmap. Senegal and Guinea will camp in Rwanda starting this week because of the conditions similar to Cameroon. They will play the hosts as part of their preparations.

Malawi, on the other hand, have since flown to Saudi Arabia for a 10-day training camp. The Flames will play two friendly matches against Mali this Thursday and Comoros next week. The team will also have training matches with local clubs in Saudi Arabia.

All the teams have now announced their provisional squads with Liverpool stars Sadio Mane and Naby Keita set to lead the glitzy West African nations Senegal and Guinea, respectively, at AFCON. Mpandare said the Warriors were still looking to be competitive as they hope to progress from the group stages for the first time.

“Obviously football has evolved. There are no longer small teams at tournaments such as AFCON. Remember what Madagascar did the last time when no one was giving them a chance?

“So what I can say is, we respect all the teams that we are going to face at AFCON. We have seen their squads and they are quite strong. But we have always maintained that we are professionals and we are going there to compete,” said Mpandare.

Warriors SQUAD

GOALKEEPERS: Petros Mhari (FC Platinum) Martin Mapisa (FC Zamora) Talbert Shumba (Free State Stars) Taimon Mvula (Dynamos)

DEFENDERS: Peter Muduwa (Highlanders) Alec Mudimu (Torpedo Kutaisi) Takudzwa Chimwemwe (Nkana) Jordan Zemura (AFC Bournemouth) Tapiwa Sibanda (Cranborne) Godknows Murwira, Frank Makarati (Dynamos) Gerald Takwara (Venda Football Academy) Teenage Hadebe (Houston Dynamo) Bruce Kangwa (Azam) Onismor Bhasera (SuperSport United)

MIDFIELDERS: Temptation Chiwunga (JDR Stars) Kelvin Madzongwe (FC Platinum) Bill Antonio (Dynamos) Thabani Kamusoko (Zesco United) Never Tigere (Azam) Kudakwashe Mahachi (SuperSport United) Shepherd Mhlanga (Chicken Inn) Ishmael Wadi (JDR Stars) Panashe Mutimbanyoka (FC Platinum)

STRIKERS: Admiral Muskwe (Luton Town) Knox Mutizwa (Golden Arrows) Prince Dube (Azam) David Moyo (Hamilton Academical) Knowledge Musona (Al-Tai) Tinotenda Kadewere (Olympique Lyonnais)