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Mighty Warriors expect win against Tanzania

Sport
MIGHTY Warriors coach Shadreck Mlauzi wants his team to keep up the momentum gained from the historic Olympic qualification into today’s African Women Championship first leg qualifier against hosts Tanzania.

MIGHTY Warriors coach Shadreck Mlauzi wants his team to keep up the momentum gained from the historic Olympic qualification into today’s African Women Championship first leg qualifier against hosts Tanzania.

BY HENRY MHARA Mighty-warriors Mlauzi’s team flew out of Harare early yesterday, as they begin their campaign with what appears a winnable first round qualifier at the Azam Complex in Dar es Salam.

Zimbabwe are currently riding on a wave of their Rio Olympics qualification and the coach, wants the team to maintain the momentum.

“We have set ourselves high standards and we have to keep and maintain them. Our qualification to the Olympics should spur us to do even much better,” Mlauzi said before departure.

The Mighty Warriors have enjoyed success against the Twiga Stars in their more recent meetings, but Mlauzi remains cautious. “We have known them to be a competitive side which thrives on possession-based football. We expect a difficult match, but we are an equally competitive side.

“Our players are battle-hardened and I expect them to overcome this hurdle. It comes down to every detail and the work we put at training and in our preparations,” he said.

The visitors will be boosted by the return of midfielder maestro Emmaculate Msipa, who missed the team’s epic 1-0 win over Cameroon that ensured qualification to the Olympics, through suspension. Msipa’s inclusion is one of the four changes that Mlauzi has made to the 18-member squad in Tanzania.

New Orleans defender Nobukhosi Ncube has also made it into the squad, while Patience Mujuru and Samkeliso Zulu also make a return to the team.

Black Rhinos quartet of Rufaro Machingura, Rutendo Makore, Talent Mandaza and Kuda Bhasopo made way.

But it is the availability of Msipa that thrills Mlauzi.

“She is a special player, one that any coach will want to have in a team,” he said. “She has good height, technically gifted, has power and a high workrate that you would require when playing away from home. She brings another dimension to the team and I expect her to play the role of stabilizing the team and starting attack from midfield,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Tanzanian government has offered financial incentives to the Twiga Stars, as the Tanzanian ladies football team is known, to beat the Mighty Warriors.