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NewsDay

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Warriors stars troop in

Sport
COSTA Nhamoinesu and Marvelous Nakamba were among the first European-based Warriors stars to arrive in the country to begin camp ahead of the team’s 2017 Gabon Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) Group L qualifier against Malawi. BY HENRY MHARA The match, according to information on the Confederation of African Football (Caf) website, will be played […]

COSTA Nhamoinesu and Marvelous Nakamba were among the first European-based Warriors stars to arrive in the country to begin camp ahead of the team’s 2017 Gabon Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) Group L qualifier against Malawi.

BY HENRY MHARA

Marvelous Nakamba

The match, according to information on the Confederation of African Football (Caf) website, will be played at the National Sports Stadium this Friday.

To prepare for the must-win game, the Warriors will play a friendly match against Uganda tomorrow at the National Sports Stadium. Uganda are expected in the country this afternoon.

The Czech Republic-based Nhamoinesu and Nakamba of Vitesse Arnhem in the Netherlands, arrived in the country yesterday afternoon.

Winger Kudakwashe Mahachi of Golden Arrows of South Africa, was the other foreign-based player who had joined camp last night.

A member of the technical team told NewsDaySport last night that six players had checked in at the team’s lodge in the capital yesterday.

“Six players are in, namely Nhamoinesu, Nakamba, Mahachi, Elisha Muroiwa, Blessing Moyo and Hardlife Zvirekwi. These have already arrived at the lodge where they would be camped, but we expect the local based players to be all in tonight. The rest of the foreign-based players should start to arrive tomorrow (today),” he said.

No official comment could be obtained from team manager Sharif Mussa whose mobile phone went unanswered.

Belgium-based striker Knowledge Musona and Dzikamai Gwaze of Polish side Gornik Zabrze, who got his national team call-up, are expected in the country today in time for the Uganda match.

However, reports suggest that Khama Billiat of Mamelodi Sundowns, Nyasha Mushekwi and Matthew Rusike could miss tomorrow’s international friendly match due to club commitments.

Mushekwi, who plays for Chinese Division One side Dalian Yifang, was in action for his side last night in a promotion play-off match away to Xinjiang Tianshan and was expected to leave soon after the match and arrive in country tonight.

Dalian Yifang are in fourth position in the second-tier league with 19 points, two adrift of leaders Qingdao Huanghai.

As for Billiat, he has been excused by the technical team to attend the South African Player of the Season in Johannesburg tonight and is expected in the country tomorrow.

The Mamelodi Sundowns winger had a stellar season with the club and is tipped to win big at the awards ceremony.

He is nominated for the Footballer of the Season, the Player’s Player of the Season and the Midfielder of the Season awards where he will be fighting for the three awards against teammates Keagan Dolly and Hlompho Kekana.

Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane, himself in the running for the Coach of the Year after guiding the club to the premiership title, has backed the 25-year-old Billiat to win the three awards.

The speedster was recently voted KickOff Footballer of the Year and Absa Premiership Player of the Month for May.

Rusike, like Mushekwi was also committed last night in the Swedish’s Allsvenskan where his side Helsingborg IF was playing IFK Goteborg and is expected to travel today.

Victory against Malawi could be enough for Zimbabwe who lead Group L with eight points, to qualify for the Acon for the first time since 2006.

Billiat believes the Warriors can do it.

“Qualifying is very important for Zimbabwean football. I always wanted to be in this situation and contributing to the country to qualify. And here we are, one game away and this will be the greatest moment of my life,” Billiat told the South African media yesterday.

Billiat has hailed the current crop of players for their fighting spirit and said this augurs well for the future of the national team.

“We work hard. [Tendai] Ndoro is a hard worker, [Knowledge] Musona is a hard worker, Nyasha Mushekwi is a hard worker . . . I believe I’m a hard worker. Being in this group motivates me,” he said. “We are all positive about [qualifying] and we are all sharing the same goal. I don’t think it should be a problem.”

Warriors squad: Goalkeepers: Tatenda Mukuruva (Dynamos), Donovan Bernard (How Mine), Tapiwa Chilenga (Triangle)

Defenders: Costa Nhamoinesu (Sparta Prague, Czech Republic), Lawrence Mhlanga (Chicken Inn), Hardlife Zvirekwi (Caps United), Bruce Kangwa (Highlanders), Onismo Bhasera (Bidvest Wits, South Africa), Elisha Muroiwa (Dynamos), Teenage Hadebe (Chicken Inn), Blessing Moyo (Harare City)

Midfielders: Willard Katsande (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa), Marvelous Nakamba (Vitesse Arnhem, Netherlands), Danny Phiri (Chicken Inn), Kudakwashe Mahachi (Golden Arrows, South Africa), Marshal Mudehwe (Fc Platinum), Farai Madhanaga (Harare City), Tafadzwa Kutinyu (Chicken Inn), Dzikamai Gwaze (Gornik Zabrze, Poland), Khama Billiat (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa)

Strikers: Knowledge Musona (K.V. Oostende, Belgium), Nyasha Mushekwi (Dalian Yifang, China), Evans Rusike (Maritzburg United, South Africa), Matthew Rusike (Helsingborg IF, Sweden), Cuthbert Malajila (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Tendai Ndoro (Orlando Pirates, South Africa)