Story by Mthokozisi Dube
The Zimbabwe national football team will open their Mukuru Four Nations Tournament campaign with a semi-final clash against hosts Botswana national football team on Saturday at 6pm.
The tournament gets underway earlier in the day with Zambia national football team facing Malawi national football team in the first semi-final at 3pm.
The inaugural competition is expected to ignite regional rivalry within the COSAFA region, while offering teams a valuable competitive platform.
For Zimbabwe, the tournament comes at a pivotal stage, with head coach Marian Marinica set to use the matches to assess a broader pool of players ahead of key international assignments.
The Warriors are building towards the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with the technical team focused on strengthening squad depth and identifying players capable of performing at the highest level.
Marinica has underscored the importance of giving opportunities to fringe and emerging players as the team seeks to strike a balance between experience and youth ahead of more demanding fixtures.
