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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter

FORMER Warriors coach Joey Antipas says the Zimbabwe team in Cameroon for the African Cup of Nations need to fight the underdog tag if they hope to stand toe-to-toe with some of the global superstars that they are set to face at the 2021 finals.

The AFCON tournament, which kicks off this Sunday in Yaounde, will showcase the best that Africa has in terms of football talent.

The whole football world will shift attention on the continent to watch the likes of Sadio Mane (Senegal), Mohamed Salah (Egypt), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon), Thomas Partey (Ghana), Edouard Mendy (Senegal), Wilfried Zaha (Ivory Coast), Alex Iwobi (Nigeria), Naby Keita (Guinea) and Manchester United’s Eric Bailly (Ivory Coast), among others, as they battle it out in their national team colours.

Zimbabwe play star-studded Senegal in the opening match of Group B on Monday. The Lions of Teranga headline the group, which also has Guinea and Malawi.

Antipas, said the opening match against Senegal is likely to set the tone for the whole campaign as Zimbabwe look to progress from the group stages for the first time.

“We know our strengths against the teams in the pool. Our chances are still as good as anyone else. We have to target at least a point in every game we play and particularly maximum points against Malawi,” said Antipas.

The top two teams of each group, along with the best four third-placed teams, advance to the round of 16. So four points, at the least, could do the trick for Zimbabwe.

“There are no two ways if we hope to progress to the next stage. The only way is to pick up points, so we have to be at our best.

“It’s not a secret, we have to fight hard against Senegal and Guinea. Football being football, never take any team for granted. There are many surprises in football and we can’t rule out upsets,” said Antipas.

Antipas, who was in charge of the opening two matches of the 2021 AFCON qualifiers when Zimbabwe were held by Botswana at home before upsetting Zambia in their own backyard, believes the Warriors were disadvantaged after losing key players before the start of the tournament.

The team was dealt a blow following the withdrawal of Marvelous Nakamba, Marshall Munetsi and newboy Brendan Galloway due to injuries.

Khama Billiat, also made himself unavailable for selection after announcing his retirement from international football recently while England-based defender Tendayi Darikwa excused himself.

“Of course, I would say this is not the best squad that we could have assembled if all things were equal. Our selection was limited because of the injuries and withdrawals.

“It must have been difficult for Norman because guys like Khama, Marshall Munetsi, Nakamba and Darikwa had become the backbone of the team. “They ought to be in Cameroon, if it wasn’t for the unfortunate circumstances. But I believe we have the players with the fighting spirit in our squad.

“It’s unfortunate, there were many distractions this year. But the team is happy and the coach is happy with the preparations, although I feel it could have been much better.

“The good thing is that the team is in Cameroon and the boys are looking forward to the tournament. Let’s all give them our support,” said Antipas. Ex-Zimbabwe international Agent “Ajira” Sawu, who was part of the pioneering squad of 2004, said the Warriors should focus on their mission.

The Warriors have been to the AFCON finals four times before and on every occasion they failed to go past the group stages.

“I wouldn’t want to undermine the strength of our team nor play down our chances,” said Sawu. “The bottom line is the team is in Cameroon to compete. We have players who play football abroad. So we need to focus mostly on ourselves and not on the opponents, otherwise we will be distracted.

“As a patriotic Zimbabwean my hope is that we finish either top or second in our group. What happened in the past is now history. We have to open a new chapter and this is the moment.

“I think the biggest motivation for any player is to play at AFCON. This is a big tournament which will be watched all over the world and players have to grab the opportunity and shine at the stage.”

However, not many people are giving Zimbabwe a chance, especially in the first game against the star-studded Senegal.

Ngezi Platinum coach Rodwell Dhlakama believes Zimbabwe can still match their opponents in the group and progress to the next stage.

“In terms of profile, I think we are not that bad. The Malawi team is composed mainly of local-based players and if you look at their local teams, they don’t go that far in the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup. That on its own reflects the calibre of their competition as a nation.

“Guinea, I would say they are a modest side. They are not very superior to us. If we can play competitively, I am sure we can get a result against them.

“So if there are two teams in the group that we are confident of matching, it should give us hope. Probably Senegal are the only team that should give us major headaches.

“They have grown in stature over the past few years. If you look at the profile of their players and where they are playing, it makes them the team to beat in the group.

“But it is important that we don’t look down upon ourselves. We must fight the inferiority complex. Besides, football is won mainly by team performance.

“They may have outstanding individuals in their squad but if they are not a team then it might be something else. So we have to focus on ourselves and aim to work hard as a team,” said Dhlakama.