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Petros Kausiyo in WINDHOEK, Namibia
WARRIORS coach Callisto Pasuwa believes that their opening Group A clash against Swaziland at the Sam Nujoma Stadium will set the tone of their 2016 COSAFA Castle Cup campaign here.

The Warriors and Sihlangu will get this year’s edition of the COSAFA Castle Cup underway when they square off tomorrow in the first of a double header in the group stages at 3pm.

Hosts and holders Namibia are not in action until the quarter-final stage as will be other seeded teams such as Zambia and South Africa.

The Warriors have had to suffer the ignominy of playing in the COSAFA Castle Cup preliminary stage following their sensational fall from grace in the last two years. But the four-time COSAFA champions are on a revival mission which has just been put into perspective by their qualification for the African Cup of Nations in Gabon next year.

Earlier this year, the Warriors were also in Rwanda where they made a record fourth African Nations championships appearance, which was blighted by a poor run at the competition.

The COSAFA Castle Cup has been a preserve of mostly the home-based talent with Pasuwa seeking to use the competitions as a platform to identify and develop more talent.

It is against this background that the Warriors coach resisted including some of the stars of his Nations Cup side such as Khama Billiat, Knowledge Musona, Willard Katsande and Costa Nhamoinesu although many fans in Windhoek had been highly anticipating to watch them in action.

Instead Jomo Cosmos forward Charlton Mashumba is the only foreign-based player with Pasuwa indicating that he would want to use the COSAFA tournament to closely assess the former Eagles man.

Pasuwa said he was confident in the abilities of the squad he brought here although it remains worryingly thin in attack due to the non-availability of some of the forwards such as Walter Musona and Michelle Katsvairo.

“Swaziland have brought basically the same team that we played in the AFCON games and it must be noted that they are a very offensive side and we should not underrate them.

“We have made changes to our squad to infuse more Under-23 players and of course the locals we could get from the PSL clubs.

“So we would have to be our best and I think if we do well in that opening game, it will help these youngsters to quickly settle down before we play Seychelles and Madagascar,’’ Pasuwa said.

The Warriors gaffer admitted some concern with his attack which would now have to largely bank on veteran Obadiah Tarumbwa and Mashumba after the coach failed to secure the services of Walter Musona who remained home due to FC Platinum commitments.

Katsvairo of league champions Chicken Inn is also understood to be working on his move to South African giants Kaizer Chiefs. “The good thing about football these days is that players do not necessarily have to stick to one position so we will use the few strikers that we have sparingly also.

“It is also important to always keep our shape in every game that we play and in as much as there are high expectations that we could also win this Cup, we have to take it game by game and see how far we progress,’’ Pasuwa said.

Swaziland coach Harries Bulunga remains optimistic that his charges could still squeeze through to the Nations Cup in Gabon as one of the best runners-up named an experienced squad of players for the side that arrived in Windhoek at lunch time yesterday.

Veterans of the national team such as Felix Badenhorst, Wonder Nhleko and Tony Tsabedze will have another crack at the regional showpiece event that is staged in Namibia from June 11-25.

Swaziland have been in good form in international competition in recent months and for Bulunga the COSAFA Castle Cup is a chance to keep continuity and get more games under the team’s belt.

But striker Phinda Dhlamini has been dropped, midfielder Xolani Sibandze has been excused as he is understood to be writing examinations, and Mthunzi Mkhontfo is returning to Congolese club AS Vita. Zimbabwe’s other Group A opponents Madagascar who caused the biggest upset in last year’s competition in Rustenburg have had a change in technical personnel.

The Indian Ocean islanders, who finished third in South Africa last year, have replaced coach Franck Rajaonarisamba with Frenchman Auguste Raux, who returns for a third spell in charge having previously led the side for two matches in 2003, and between 2012 and 2015.

Raux will lead the Malagasy as they open their campaign this year with a date against fellow islanders Seychelles.

The Malagasy have also adjusted their squad with Zenith Fenolahy and Fabrice Rakotondraibe being dropped out of the squad through injury and will be replaced by Elefoni and Manda Ratsimbazafy respectively.