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Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
ZIFA technical director, Wilson Mutekede, believes the Mighty Warriors have been handed a fair draw in the COSAFA Championships which get underway on November 3 in South Africa.

The team were the top seeds in Group C and they were drawn against neighbours Botswana and East African guests Tanzania.

Other seeded teams were COSAFA champions South Africa, in Group A, and Zambia, who headline Group B.

Banyana Banyana will battle it out against Eswatini, Comoros and Angola in the only group which has four teams.

She-polopolo will fight for the sole semi-final place with Malawi and Lesotho.

The top team in each group will advance to the semi-finals.

The team occupying the best runner-up spot, from the three groups, will also join the group winners in the last four.

“I think it is a good group where we are hoping to do our best under the circumstances,’’ said Mutekede.

“Everybody knows the limited time we have. The team is now in camp, they went through testing protocols and will start training this afternoon (yesterday).

“They are in a group with Tanzania, who had ample time to prepare since they never went into lockdown.

“The bulk of the Under-20 national team, which is involved in the World Cup qualifiers, made it into the team.

“This tournament, will help us measure our pedigree.’’

The bulk of the Mighty Warriors players were drawn from the Under-20 squad which progressed to the first round of the World Cup qualifiers after beating Malawi.

The Zimbabwe Under-17 national women’s team will participate in the regional tournament for the first time.

They mossed the first edition, in Mauritius, last year.

The Under-17 Championship will start on November 5 and end on November 13 with five teams, in a single pool, playing on a round-robin basis.

These are hosts South Africa, Comoros, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

“We value the development of football, as an association, in line with the thrust of CAF and FIFA, so, our junior team is going together with the senior team,’’ said Mutekede.

“We would have loved to have enough training time to prepare but this year all the associations didn’t have enough time to run football programmes.’’

ZIFA will release the squads once all the players they have called into camp have completed the testing protocols.

The Mighty Warriors are in camp at Pandari Lodge and will train at a secluded ground.

The Young Mighty Warriors are staying at the ZIFA Village. 

Mighty Warriors technical department.
Head coach: Sithetheliwe Sibanda

First Assistant: Perkins Nyamutamba

Second Assistant: Rosemary Mugadza

Goalkeeper’s coach: Peter Nkomo

Kit: Samu Ndlovu

Doctor: Dorothy Masawi

Physiotherapist: Sharon Mashingaidze

Fitness coach: Brenda Chaora 

Under-17 technical squad
Head coach: Annie Konje

Assistant coach: Irene Mwanza

Assistant coach: Lindiwe Ndlovu

Goalkeepers coach: Onai Chingawo

Team Manager: Debra Green