Story by Mthokozisi Dube
THE Zimbabwe senior men’s football team, the Warriors, face a stern test this Tuesday as they conclude their international break with two simultaneous assignments, a COSAFA Cup group stage clash against Mozambique and an international friendly against Niger in Morocco.
The Warriors are targeting nothing short of victory to compensate for a not-so-convincing outing on the regional showpiece when they face Mozambique in their last COSAFA group match.
The Warriors started the campaign with a nil-all share of spoils with Mauritius before suffering a 2-nil defeat to neighbours South Africa.
With a point in the campaign, the Warriors will pin hopes on South Africa thumping Mauritius and hope for a superior goal difference over Mozambique, although it looks like a buried dream to advance to the next stage of the tournament.
In Morrocco, focus will be on the second friendly match against Niger.
Zimbabwe got a rude awakening at the hands of Burkina Faso who have asserted themselves as a dominant force in the continent.
With head coach Michael Nees opting to try out combinations by introducing a pair of new legs in preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations set for the end of the year, the match against Niger has far-reaching implications for the Warriors in terms of FIFA rankings.
“We had to recover after the first match. Like always, we make two different groups in our sessions those who played more than 60 minutes and those who played less. They have different training protocol. We have a bloated group and we are ready to improve. We have new players and rookies who are having a first time in the Warriors, so we need to give them time,” Nees said.
Interestingly, the Warriors are yet to hit the back of the net in the two competitions running simultaneously.
Zimbabwe has considered serious AFCON preparations after failing to go past the group stages in their appearances in previous seditions.
