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Warriors face Amavubi Stars

Sport
Zimbabwe’s Warriors face a tricky fixture against Rwanda on Tuesday in their second match of the Cecafa Tusker Senior Challenge Cup at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Kickoff is at 2pm and the match will be live on SuperSport 9 which is covering the entire event. Both teams won their opening matches […]

Zimbabwe’s Warriors face a tricky fixture against Rwanda on Tuesday in their second match of the Cecafa Tusker Senior Challenge Cup at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Kickoff is at 2pm and the match will be live on SuperSport 9 which is covering the entire event.

Both teams won their opening matches in Group A as Rwanda, affectionately known as Amavubi Stars, beating Kilimanjaro Stars 1-0 on Saturday while the Warriors beat Djibouti 2-0.

Donald Ngoma and Qadr Amini were on target for the Warriors in the win, while Rwandan skipper Olivier Karekezi condemned the title holders Kilimanjaro Stars to a false start in the regional championship.

The Warriors, who left Zimbabwe on Friday, arrived in Tanzania, from Nairobi, Kenya at around 9am to find no officials from the hosts waiting for them, according to team manager Wellington Mpandare.

“We eventually got a bus around 10am and arrived at the hotel almost at around 11 and by that time we had to go straight to the stadium with the players having eaten nothing.

“But we played extremely well and I must commend the players for a job well done.

“At least today (Tuesday), we will have a rest and loosen up later, but we had challenges with some players complaining of stomach pains, possibly due to change of diet and weather. It’s very hot and humid here.

“Erick Mudzingwa did not train this morning but am hopeful that by tomorrow (Tuesday), they will be ready for the match,” said Mpandare from Dar es Salaam on Monday.

Rwanda head coach Sredojevic Milutin expressed delight at commanding a winning start but remains wary of the challenges lying ahead, which include the Warriors.

He does not want his team to carry the favourites’ tag in the championship.

“Let us not speak of Amavubi being one of the tournament favourites . . . we still have to work hard to achieve the success that could eventually make us tournament favourites,” he said.

“Right now we are in the process of redeeming ourselves . . . you can remember that we lost 5-0 to Ivory Coast in the 2012 Afcon qualifier played at home,” he said.

Amavubi midfielders led by Haruna Niyonzima, who also plays for Tanzania’s Young Africans, won the midfield battle with Kilimanjaro Stars’ mid-fielders, Nurdin Bakari, Ramadhan Chombo and Ibrahim Mwaipopo and consequently enjoyed possession to put their opposite numbers under pressure.