WARRIORS coach Kalisto Pasuwa is fretting over the fitness of skipper Danny “Deco” Phiri ahead of the African Nations Championship (Chan) tournament to be staged in Rwanda next year in January.
BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
The reigning Zimbabwe Castle Lager Footballer of the Year has had a hectic season in which he guided his club, Chicken Inn, to their maiden championship and also played in the loss to Highlanders in the Easycall Cup final at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday.
He has, as a result, picked some injuries which could affect the team’s preparations for the tournament.
Pasuwa, however, said he had given the player a rest and he was only expected to join his teammates in training today.
The Warriors gaffer said he would try to manage the player to ensure by the time the tournament kicks off, he would be ready for battle.
“Danny has had a hectic season and has picked injuries. I have given him a rest and he should be joining camp tomorrow. I am trying to manage him so that by the time the team leaves for the tournament, he will be fresh and ready to play. As for the other players from Bulawayo, we are expecting them this evening,” Pasuwa said yesterday.
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Highlanders have four players called up to the national team — striker Knox Mutizwa, defenders Teenage Hadebe, Ngobizitha Masuku and Bruce Kangwa — with Chicken Inn providing goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze, Edmore Chirambadare, Tafadzwa Kutinyu, Lawrence Mhlanga, Phiri and George Majika.
The Warriors coach also said the technical team would be assessing some players that they suspected to be carrying injuries and those deemed not fit enough would be dropped.
“I have discovered that some players have injuries, but they try to make sure we do not know about it. We can’t have them in camp if they are injured, so we are going to assess them and then trim the team at the end of the week. We had called up 32 players, which is a big number. So we are not going to have replacements for those we will drop,” Pasuwa said.
The Chan tournament, designed exclusively for home-based players, is expected to kick off in Rwanda from January 16 to February 7.
The Warriors, who are in Group D together with perennial rivals Zambia, West Africans Mali and East African football kings Uganda, will be based in the border town of Gisenyi.
