Mamelodi Sundowns defender Method Mwanjali will lead the Warriors when they face Zambia in a tough international friendly match at Rufaro Stadium on Wednesday August 10.
The match will give coach Norman Mapeza an opportunity to assess players before the crucial September 4 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Liberia at home.
A 20-man squad — comprising eight locally-based players — was named yesterday by team manager Sharrif Mussa and is expected to report for camp 48 hours before the match, according to Fifa rules and regulations on international friendlies.
Mamelodi Sundowns skipper Esrom Nyandoro and AC Omonia defender Noel Kaseke have again been left out of the squad as they are recovering from injuries sustained towards the end of last season in their respective leagues.
Midfielder Justice Majabvi has also been left out as he is club-hunting in Europe and South Africa after the expiry of his contract at relegated Austrian side Lask Linz. The Warriors technical team, headed by Norman Mapeza, has maintained the door will not be shut on those players left out of some games. Striker Nyasha Mushekwi and centre-back Thomas Sweswe have also been left out because they are suspended for the next 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Liberia at Rufaro set for September 4.
“We expect all the players to be in on August 8 to facilitate training the following day before the game. We have called players that we think will still be available for us for the next match against Liberia,” Mussa said.
The eight local players are FC Platinum quartet of impressive Charles Sibanda, Benjamin Marere, Daniel Vheremu and Under-23 international Lincoln Zvasiya, Caps United’s Tapiwa Khumbuyani, Highlanders’ Erick Mudzingwa, Gunners’ left-back Qadr Amini and Dynamos goalkeeper Washington Arubi.
Top of the pile however is new Hoffeinhem signing Knowledge Musona and Al Hilal hitman Edward Sadomba. The line-up was rather predictable, with Tapiwa Kapini — who recently signed for AmaZulu in a R1 million deal — making the cut.
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Skipper Method Mwanjali, who turns out for Mamelodi Sundowns together with striker Simba Sithole, Kaizer Chiefs’ Tinashe Nengomasha and the pair of Ajax Cape Town players Khama Billiat and Willard Katsande have been called up.
Belgian-based Vusa Nyoni, new Moroka Swallows signing Gilbert Mapemba, Quincy Antipas, who plies his trade in Denmark, and man-of-the-match in the game against Mali in June, US Boulogne’s Ovidy Karuru, will feature in the game.
Zambia have also named their squad for the match which features most of the players based in South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo champions TP Mazembe, who provide goalkeeper Kalililo Kakonje, Stoppilla Sunzu, Emmanuel Mbola, Rainford Kalaba and Given Singuluma. Orlando Pirates’ Isaac Chansa has been ruled out following an ankle injury he sustained during a cup game in South Africa recently.
Chansa was injured during a Vodacom Challenge game against English Premiership side Tottenham Hotspur in Nelspruit. The Zambian international was also expected to be in the starting line-up when Bucs play Kaizer Chiefs in the Carling Black Label Cup at FNB Stadium this afternoon.
The eight local Warriors players will form the backbone of the team that faces Botswana in another international friendly in September.
“The Zebras want us to play them either on August 27 or any other time before September 30 and we prefer the latter date since the other date is too close to the Liberia match.
“The game is also outside the Fifa calendar, so we won’t have the bulk of the foreign players we might want to use in Cape Verde. So we will make do with locally-based players for that game,” Mussa said yesterday.
