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Young Warriors get major boost

Sport
ZIMBABWE Under-23 soccer team have received a major boost ahead of the do-or-die African Championships second leg qualifier against Swaziland in Mbabane at the weekend with the Dynamos pair of goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva and defender Blessing Moyo joining camp yesterday.

ZIMBABWE Under-23 soccer team have received a major boost ahead of the do-or-die African Championships second leg qualifier against Swaziland in Mbabane at the weekend with the Dynamos pair of goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva and defender Blessing Moyo joining camp yesterday.

BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA

The two missed the first leg drawn tie in Harare on Sunday after Dynamos — who had a league game against Tsholotsho on Monday — refused to release them for national duty on the grounds that the qualifiers fall outside the Fifa calendar for international matches. However, team manager Shariff Mussa revealed yesterday the two players had finally been released.

Hwange forward Pritchard Mpelele and FC Platinum’s Marshall Mudehwe, who were part of the squad that was in South Africa for the Cosafa tournament, also joined camp yesterday — a development which boosted coach Kalisto Pasuwa’s selection options as he battles to qualify for the tournament to be held in Senegal.

“The team is starting training later this evening (yesterday) at Rufaro Stadium and so far we have Dynamos defender Moyo and goalkeeper Mukuruva now in camp,” Mussa said. “We also have Marshal Mudehwe from FC Platinum and Mpelele from Hwange who have joined camp as well. We are now just waiting for Kuda Mahachi and Ronald Pfumbidzai. We are expecting Kuda tonight and Pfumbidzai should be in by tomorrow (today).”

Mahachi and Pfumbidzai also missed the first leg tie with Mahachi attending to his sick daughter while Pfumbidzai has been on trials in Denmark.

Pfumbidzai had, however, stated that he would be available for the decisive second leg.

The team is expected to leave for Swaziland on Friday.

The Young Warriors were held to a 0-0 draw by their opponents at home on Sunday after missing a glut of chances and they now need to roll up their sleeves if they are to qualify for the inaugural championships. Should Pasuwa’s men overcome Swaziland, they will face neighbours South Africa in the final qualifying round with winners from that encounter, sealing a ticket to the finals in Senegal, from which the top-three finishers at that tournament will automatically qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games to be held in Brazil, while the fourth-placed team will engage a team from the Asian Football Confederation in a play-off.