KALISTO Pasuwa is not underestimating Swaziland’s threat to the Warriors’ ambition to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) 2017 finals ahead of the two southern African nations’ back-to-back football clashes over the Easter holidays.
BY HENRY MHARA
The two teams face off in a Group L match at the Somhlolo National Stadium in Lobamba on Good Friday, before the reverse fixture at the National Sports Stadium in Harare three days later.
With the two teams jointly tied at the top of the group with four points, Zimbabwe will be going all out to collect maximum points from both matches, but Pasuwa has warned that their quest will not be a stroll in the park.
While admitting that these are two winnable matches, Pasuwa reckons his team will need to be extremely focused against an improving Swaziland side to get a result.
Swaziland have in recent times managed to upset giants, including holding Nigeria to a goalless draw at the Somhlolo in a World Cup qualifier last year before stunning Guinea 2-1 in an Afcon qualifier, results that have left Pasuwa demanding total focus from his team in the two matches.
“For us to get a good result, we need to be focused. The players should not underestimate Swaziland and expect to collect points on a platter,” Pasuwa said yesterday as he presided over the first training session ahead of the two matches.
“Remember the same Swaziland we are playing won against Guinea, and played well against Nigeria at their home ground. So we need to be very positive in our approach to the matches in order for us to collect the six points,” he added.
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Players started to troop into camp yesterday, with 13 — including four South Africa-based ones — reporting for the afternoon training session at Rufaro Stadium.
Eric Chipeta, Patson Jaure, Evans Rusike and Kuda Mahachi trained together with locally-based players Tatenda Mukuruva, Danny Phiri, Hardlife Zvirekwi, Bruce Kangwa and Tafadzwa Kutinyu.
“We were monitoring some of the guys, and some had no game time at their respective clubs, so here we were trying to assess their conditions in terms of their fitness and trying to maintain or improve it. But for this training, we are looking more at the tactical side. We will have to do our best to come out with a positive result.”
The team’s talisman, Knowledge Musona, was expected to arrive yesterday evening after missing his connecting flight in South Africa from his base in Belgium, while captain Willard Katsande, Nyasha Mushekwi and Marvelous Nakamba are all expected today.
Washington Arubi was said to have had a problem with his passport, but Pasuwa said it was being sorted and the goalkeeper was also expected today, while Khama Billiat and Cuthbert Malajila, who were with South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in Congo-Brazzaville for a Caf club game, will only join camp tomorrow.
Pasuwa is expected to travel to Mbabane with 18 players.
“I would have wanted to go with all the players in camp, resources permitting, because the batch that I will leave behind will be inactive, which might give us a problem in the event someone picks an injury in Swaziland.”
The team is expected to leave in two batches, with the first group tomorrow and the rest following on Thursday.
Three England-based players Brendan Galloway of Everton, Tendayi Darikwa of Burnley and Macauley Bonne with Colchester United had been included in the squad, but are all not available and the technical team will not make any replacements.
