The Young Mighty Warriors team is expected to leave for Maputo, Mozambique, today as they seek to wrap up their place in the second round of the Fifa U-20 Women’s World Cup finals to be staged in Uzbekistan later this year.
Women football boss Mavis Gumbo yesterday confirmed the 25-member delegation comprising 18 players and officials would fly out this afternoon aboard Comair.
Zimbabwe will go into the match, set for Saturday, carrying a four-goal advantage from the first leg played at Rufaro Stadium two weeks ago.
The Langton Giwa-coached side needs at least a draw to qualify for the next stage where continental giants Nigeria lie in wait.
However, Giwa said despite carrying a healthy lead that has virtually put his side through, he was taking the match seriously.
The Mufakose Queens gaffer, who has made it clear that he is already looking beyond the weekend fixture, yesterday named his strongest possible squad as he starts to prepare the team for the upcoming challenges.
Only two players — Barbra Soko and the suspended Rufaro Machingura — have been dropped from the initial squad that did duty at home. They have been replaced by Rutendo Madongorere and Rumbidzai Soko.
The team held their last training session on home soil at Barclays Sports Club yesterday and they were expected to go for an ice bath later in the afternoon. No injuries have been reported in camp so far.
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“The team is shaping up,” Giwa told NewsDay Sport yesterday.
“I’m confident we will get a positive result in Mozambique. People might think that we will go there and defend the four goals we scored here, but that will not be the case. We will go there to attack and score as many goals as possible. We have to instil that culture of winning and scoring goals. The team has been training since last week and they are looking very sharp. Morale is good in camp, the girls are ready to do the job.”
Giwa has set a target of six goals or more for his team. If they progress through to the second round, the Young Mighty Warriors will meet Nigeria, who cruised to the second round after their opponent in the first round, Sierra Leone, pulled out of the competition due to financial difficulties.
Squad: P Mukucha, E Timire, R Jongondi, E Chibanda, F Chasi, M Moyo, M Chirandu, N Bizecki, R Madongorere, T Tsungura, E Chaparangana, N Munemo, R Gora, R Neshamba, D Bhobho, R Makore, K Chiparausha, E Msipa.
