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Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor—

ZIMBABWE’S Warriors face a busy schedule ahead of their third African Cup of Nations appearance in Gabon next January with ZIFA yesterday outlining an ambitious programme of international friendlies for Callisto Pasuwa’s men.The Warriors, fresh from back-to-back games against Zambia and Tanzania at the National Sports Stadium which they both won, are now set to face five more tougher opponents before they begin their Nations Cup finals Group B campaign with a date against Algeria’s Desert Foxes in Franceville on January 15.

ZIFA president Philip Chiyangwa said last night that his Association was targeting at least five more high-profile matches aimed at helping the Warriors to fine tune for the Nations Cup.

Chiyangwa said the Warriors, who already have a Boxing Day date against Africa’s Number One team Cote d’Ivoire in Abidjan, are now also being lined up to meet five-time continental champions Egypt, the 2017 Nations Cup hosts Gabon and regional rivals South Africa.

West African giants and former champions Cameroon are also on the radar of the warm up games that are being lined up to face the Warriors.

Chiyangwa said he had resolved to ensure the Warriors play as many matches as possible in the build-up to their trip to Gabon with the ZIFA boss insisting that the games would be played in consultation with Pasuwa and his technical crew.

“We believe that if the Warriors can play five more games against different opposition, it would give the coach and his players the adequate preparations which they need.

“We have basically confirmed those matches and what we are working on now is finalising on the modalities that are related to issues of logistics for instance where we would need to fly to play away, we need to agree on getting something out of these games, I am talking of issues like appearance fees,’’ Chiyangwa said.

The ZIFA boss said he was keen to have the Warriors play Bafana Bafana in a Battle of the Limpopo.

“I am trying to get Bafana Bafana to come to Harare and we believe we can benefit a lot from playing them and they can also benefit from us.

“They are also just fresh from playing Senegal who are one of the teams that we will face in Gabon at AFCON,’’ Chiyangwa said.

With the Warriors also eager to sample the conditions that are similar to Franceville it is highly likely that Pasuwa and his men could fly to Gabon for their proposed friendly against Les Pantheres (The Panthers).

The Warriors are also likely to travel away to Cameroon for their showdown with the Indomitable Lions who have been on a revival after undergoing a surprise slump.

But with Chiyangwa indicating that the modalities of the games and the dates were being finalised in close consultation with their opponents, it was not yet clear whether the Warriors would be at home or will travel to Alexandria for their clash against the Pharaohs.

Chiyangwa said he was also aware that in some of the matches, Pasuwa may not have the luxury of calling out a full strength squad as was the case over the weekend when the Warriors received Tanzania at the National Sports Stadium and handed the Taifa Stars a 3-0 hiding.

“Some the matches that we are planning will fall outside of the FIFA calendar, but it is not all the foreign-based players who will not be available as some like Nyasha Mushekwi and those playing in Sweden are now on off-season,’’ Chiyangwa said.

Both Pasuwa and team manager Sharif Mussa have already rolled out an action plan which was handed to ZIFA in September and that programme also outlines the critical path which the association would need to address before the Warriors leave for the tournament.

Apart from the warm-up matches in which the Warriors technical crew had requested for the inclusion of West African and North African opposition, the critical path laid out for ZIFA also touches on key matters such as player contracts to avoid a bonus row before or during the Nations Cup.

The comprehensive critical path document also address the need for a training camp which Pasuwa has insisted would have to start on December 22.

Banking on their experience from previous tournaments including the African Nations Championships in South Africa and Rwanda in 2014 and 2016, the technical crew also want ZIFA to ensure that a kit deal is put in place that will not only provide playing kits, but also cater for training equipment that would be sufficient to meet the demands of a high-profile competition of the nature of the Nations Cup.