THE local contingent of the victorious Warriors team that beat Malawi 2-1 on Saturday are expected to regroup tomorrow to prepare for Sunday’s African Nations Championships (Chan) football qualifier against Comoros at Rufaro Stadium.
BY WELLINGTON TONI
The Warriors are expected from Blantyre this morning at 10:40am aboard Malawi Airways. The national team had return tickets for the journey before aborting the trip on Thursday afternoon due to differences over money with Zifa.
They had to use a Munorurama coach by road for the journey, arriving 15 hours before kick-off, but still managed a win via two goals on either half from the Mamelodi Sundowns pair of Cuthbert Malajila and Khama Billiat.
The Chan return leg will be played in the Island nation on the weekend of July 3-5.
Impressive goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva, Blessing Moyo, Justice Jangano and Ronald Pfumbidzai are sure to be part of coach Kalisto Pasuwa’s plans having formed an integral part in the successful All-Africa Games run and the Under 23 Championship qualifier.
Donovan Bernard, Teenage Hadebe, Wisdom Mutasa, Danny Phiri and Gerald Takwara did not play in Malawi but will be part of the team to face Comoros. Pasuwa is also likely to call in a few experienced hands from the Castle Lager Premiership clubs.
With such good performances and age on his side, Mukuruva is destined for a long career between the sticks for both his club Dynamos and country.
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Two weeks later, the Young Warriors, four of whom made the starting X1 against Malawi, will face South Africa in the final Under-23 Championships qualifier, first leg at Rufaro before the return leg two weeks later in Johannesburg.
Missing from the South Africa match will be Pfumbidzai, who is expected to leave for Sweden to join his new club Hobro on July 1 after signing a one-year deal.
The winner of this tie will proceed to the Under-23 Championships final in Senegal between November 28 and December 12 where the top three teams will qualify for the Rio Olympic Games with the fourth placed team facing an Asian qualifier for the last slot.
Here eight teams will take part in the finals.
The winner of the Chan Zimbabwe-Comoros match will clash with either Botswana or Lesotho in the final qualifier over two legs in October with the victor going to the finals set for Rwanda from January 16-February 7, 2016.
The Warriors’ have never missed a Chan Championship having been to the inaugural edition in Ivory Coast in 2009 under Sunday Chidzambwa and then with Madinda Ndlovu in Sudan in 2011. On both occasions, the Warriors failed to progress to the knockout stages.
In the last edition in South Africa in 2014, the Warriors, under Ian Gorowa managed to finish fourth after losing to eventual winners Libya.
After eventually managing to break the duck in international football by scoring his first ever away win, Pasuwa will be looking to continue this fine path in the next matches.
