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Warriors need friendlies: Akbay

Sport
HIGHLANDERS coach, Erol Akbay believes the Warriors, who were placed in a tough group for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals, need to play a lot of friendly matches to give themselves the best chance of making it to the quarter-finals.

HIGHLANDERS coach, Erol Akbay believes the Warriors, who were placed in a tough group for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals, need to play a lot of friendly matches to give themselves the best chance of making it to the quarter-finals.

BY FORTUNE MBELE

Elroy Akbay.
Elroy Akbay.

The Dutchman yesterday admitted that he did not know much about the quality in the Zimbabwe senior men’s team, but said that the Warriors needed thorough preparations before they go to face the African giants.

Zimbabwe were placed in Group B alongside Algeria, Senegal and Tunisia, where the top two teams progress to the quarter-finals of the tournament, which will be played between January 14 and February 5 in Gabon.

“Zimbabwe will have to organise many friendly matches so that the players get together for co-ordination and the coach acquaints himself more with the quality he has in camp. Otherwise, without that it will be very difficult to progress to the quarter-finals,” he said.

The Warriors only have two months left to prepare for the finals and coach Kalisto Pasuwa told NewsDaySport that he wants two friendly matches against Egypt and Morocco before the finals.

Despite not having much information about the bulk of players that make up the Warriors squad, Akbay knows that their opponents are good sides and, thus, Zimbabwe can ill-afford sloppy preparations.

“This is a very difficult pool. I don’t know much about the quality of the Zimbabwe players in the squad, but I know Algeria are African giants and Senegal and Tunisia are very good sides. It is not going to be an easy job for Zimbabwe in Gabon. I cannot say what Zimbabwe’s chances are because I don’t know the players in the squad, but you never know; anything can happen in football,” he said.

Pasuwa has already submitted his plans to Zifa and it’s now left to the country’s football governing body to give him what he has asked for.

Only one Fifa international window is left before the Afcon finals and Zifa have promised to organise a friendly match for the Warriors.

Zifa failed to organise a friendly for the team in this month’s window, owing to financial constraints.