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Mhofu targets Cosafa title

Sport
WARRIORS coach, Sunday Chidzambwa has targeted reaching the finals at the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa) tournament that kicks off in North West Province, South Africa, this weekend.

WARRIORS coach, Sunday Chidzambwa has targeted reaching the finals at the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa) tournament that kicks off in North West Province, South Africa, this weekend.

BY HENRY MHARA

Sunday Chidzambwa
Sunday Chidzambwa

Chidzambwa is the team’s coach exclusively for this tournament, in a bizarre arrangement by Zifa, which also saw Rahman Gumbo appointed Warriors coach for the African Nations Championship (Chan) tournament.

Norman Mapeza remains the interim Warriors coach and is in charge of the team’s 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) campaign.

Speaking after the team’s training session at the National Sports Stadium yesterday, Chidzambwa, who led the team to the Cosafa crown in 2009, the last time the country won the competition, revealed his objectives for the tournament.

“As a coach, you always want to get to the final, and for me personally, I would love to get to the final,” the veteran coach said.

“I have gone to the Cosafa finals twice and I just hope and pray that for the third time in a row, I will again get to the final and win the trophy. I’m hoping we get past the group stages and get to the knockout stages and the final.”

Zimbabwe will this year start the competition in the preliminary rounds and are in Group B alongside Mozambique, Madagascar and the Seychelles.

The Warriors play Mozambique on Monday, before facing Madagascar two days later, in a match that will see them bringing up a half-century of games at the Cosafa tournament.

They conclude their group matches against the Seychelles on Friday. The team that tops the group proceeds to the quarter-finals.

Chidzambwa is confident in the capabilities of the squad he picked for the tournament, where he chose to blend experience with youth.

In his 23-man squad, he picked the likes of goalkeeper George Chigova, Eric Chipeta and Ovidy Karuru, who have been in the Warriors fold for some time now, and also handed first senior national team call-ups to Yadah sensation, Leeroy Mavhunga, league top goalscorer, Bukhosi Sibanda, the Shabanie Mine duo of Nyasha Mpofu and Collins Duwa, Harare City right-back Jimmy Tigere, Bruce Homora of Black Rhinos, Innocent Mucheneka (Chicken Inn) and Blessing Majarira of Northern Region Division One side Herentals.

“We have very good players, a group of very skilful, youthful and experienced players. From this training session, I already have my starting line-up in my mind. I hope we will have a good tournament. I’m also quite happy with the players’ fitness levels and looking at them, they are raring to go.”

Chidzambwa is deputised by Lloyd Mutasa and Bongani Mafu.

The team is set to leave the country for South Africa tomorrow.

Warriors Cosafa squad

Goalkeepers: George Chigova (Polokwane City, South Africa), Takabva Mawaya (Ngezi Platinum Stars), Talbert Mutombeni (Chapungu)

Defenders: Eric Chipeta (Ajax Cape Town, South Africa), Ocean Mushure (Dynamos), Honest Moyo (Highlanders), Bruce Homora (Black Rhinos), Jimmy Tigere (Harare City), Jameson Mukombwe (Black Rhinos), Nyasha Mpofu (Shabanie)

Midfielders: Liberty Chakoroma (Ngezi Platinum Stars), Gerald Takwara (FC Platinum), Ovidy Karuru (Amazulu, South Africa), Leeroy Mavunga (Yadah Stars), Talent Chawapiwa (FC Platinum), Michelle Katsvairo (Kaizer Chiefs), Innocent Mucheneka (Chicken Inn), Collins Duwa (Shabanie)

Strikers: Knox Mtizwa (Lamontville Golden Arrows, South Africa), Prince Dube (Highlanders), Bukhosi Sibanda (Bantu Rovers), Blessing Majarira (Herentals), Raphael Manuvire (ZPC Kariba)