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Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
THE Mighty Warriors are expected to go into camp this Sunday as they step up their preparations for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The team’s last training camp was in early May when they ended it with an international match against South Africa in Johannesburg.

Their preparations have been questioned given how their neighbours Banyana Banyana have been preparing.

Banyana Banyana were in the Netherlands last week for two international matches against the hosts.

They are set to travel to Chicago, United States, for yet another high-profile match against world champions, the United States, on July 11.

Even the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee have raised their concern over the poor preparations by the Mighty Warriors.

But NAFAZ are short on funds and have been relying on donations from individuals, including their president Philip Chiyangwa, to run their programmes.

And yesterday, NAFAZ board member for competitions Piraishe Mabhena said they were organising a month-long training camp which will culminate in some friendly matches for the team.

Already, the Mighty Warriors have secured practice matches with New Zealand and Sweden upon arrival in South America just before the Games start.

“We wanted a 30-day camp, uninterrupted, which would be fully sponsored by a corporate company and then start playing international friendly matches,” said Mabhena.

“We are expecting to start on Sunday.

“The turbulence in dissolving ZIFA has sort of affected us, as we have to draft new applications with new logos and everything.

“But we have been working on something which is good for the Mighty Warriors should it come into fruition though at the moment we cannot reveal much.

“We are in June and since the year started we have played over 25 CAF matches looking from the Warriors, Mighty Warriors and Young Warriors.

“Even the national team in Namibia is not living under the best of conditions as things are tough.

“Yes, the Mighty Warriors, are preparing for a crucial tournament, but we don’t have resources and the biggest deficiency in women’s soccer is that there is no competitive league running.”

Meanwhile, the Young Warriors returned home on Monday from Cameroon where they were booted out of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers after they lost 0-3 in the second round reverse tie on Sunday.

Team manager Patrick Mutesva said the players have put the disappointing defeat behind them and are looking forward to regroup at the end of year for the COSAFA tournament.

“This is the first competition we have played, rebuilding from scratch as the Under-17 team was also not running.

“We will keep on scouting for more talent.

“In the current Young Warriors team, the majority of the players are from Harare and Bulawayo, but that shouldn’t be the case.”