The Warriors will play Zambia this weekend in a friendly match at the National Sports Stadium, while another one against Tanzania follows a week later at the same venue.
BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
Yesterday, Zifa acting chief executive officer, Joseph Mamutse wrote to Football Association of Zambia president Andrew Kamanga confirming the match.
“Following your discussion with our president, Philip Chiyangwa, the Zimbabwe Football Association, hereby, confirm an international friendly match,” part of the letter read.
For the Zambia match, Warriors coach, Kalisto Pasuwa can only draw his squad from locally-based players since it falls on a day outside the Fifa international window.
This would give Pasuwa an opportunity to assess players he feels might make the squad for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals to be held in Gabon in January.
But it is the Tanzania match set for November 13 that Pasuwa will be able call upon foreign-based players.
Tanzania also confirmed that they would be travelling for the match, but could not commit to a match for the women’s teams, as had been proposed by Chiyangwa. The Tanzania women’s team will be in Cameroon, where they will be playing the hosts in a friendly match.
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The football-governing body has been struggling to secure an international friendly match for the Warriors ahead of the 2017 Afcon finals in Gabon in January, as most of the teams are preoccupied with their 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
Zimbabwe were expelled from the qualifiers for failure to pay former Warriors coach Valinhos.
With the Taifa Stars out of the Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiers, the Warriors have secured a sparring partner ahead of the January tournament in Gabon.
Although Warriors coach Pasuwa had preferred to play North African opposition as part of the preperations given that Zimbabwe were drawn in Group B alongside Algeria, Tunisia and Senegal, he will welcome Tanzania.
Tanzania booted Zimbabwe out of the 2015 Afcon qualifiers after a 1-0 win in Dar es Salaam in the first leg of the preliminary round before holding them to a 2-2 draw in Harare.
The Warriors gaffer is expected to announce the squad for the match against Tanzania today.
“The coach will name the squad for the match against Tanzania tomorrow (today),” Zifa communications manager, Xolisani Gwesela said yesterday.
Former African football champions Egypt have also agreed to play the Warriors just before the 2017 Afcon finals.
The North Africans, who will be preoccupied with the World Cup qualifiers again in the last international window of the year, however, want the match to be played in Egypt in January.
Jamaica have also written to Zifa expressing interest to play the Warriors.
Pasuwa had requested two friendlies against Egypt and Morocco before the Warriors head out to Gabon.
Zimbabwe will be making their third appearance at the continental football showpiece after qualifying for Tunisia in 2004 under Sunday Chidzambwa, before another appearance at the finals in Egypt in 2006 under the guidance of Charles Mhlauri.
The Warriors will get the ball rolling against Algeria on January 15 at the Stade de Franceville, before taking on Senegal at the same venue four days later.
They will conclude the group stages with a match against Tunisia at the Stade L’Ammitse on January 23.
Zimbabwe have never progressed beyond the group stages and Pasuwa will make history if he manages to advance to the last eight of the biennial soccer tournament.
