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NewsDay

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Sunday sweats over Musona fitness

Sport
The Sunday Chidzambwa-led Warriors technical team is sweating over the fitness of captain Knowledge Musona, with the player yesterday saying he was unsure whether he will be able to take part in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) Group G qualifying match against Congo Brazzaville at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.
Warriors captain Knowledge Musona

BY Kevin Mapasure

The Sunday Chidzambwa-led Warriors technical team is sweating over the fitness of captain Knowledge Musona, with the player yesterday saying he was unsure whether he will be able to take part in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) Group G qualifying match against Congo Brazzaville at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.

Musona arrived in the country at about midday from his base in Belgium and told reporters that while he was not feeling any pain following a groin injury, he still needed to test himself on the field.

The Lokeren forward suffered a groin injury at training for his club and missed weekend action after failing a fitness test on Friday.

There has been uncertainty over his fitness ahead of the Warriors match. The team had closed-door sessions yesterday.

Musona, however, said he had been told that his injury was nothing serious.

“I went for a scan and they saw a small rapture on my groin and they said it’s nothing serious, so I will see in the next few days how I will recover,” Musona said. “I am feeling okay at this moment, but I think I have to go to the field and do the things I was doing when I was feeling pain and see how I will be feeling. At this moment, I can run normally and I have no pain, so I just have to go and try to kick the ball and see how it goes.”

The Warriors have already lost midfielder Marvelous Nakamba, also through injury, but Musona believes the team is strong enough to complete the job against Congo.

Zimbabwe need at least a draw to be assured of a place at the finals that will be played in Egypt between June and July this year.

There will be a weight of expectation, but Musona said the players were not feeling any pressure because they simply have to go about their business as they have done throughout the campaign.

“I think there is not much pressure on me or the guys. We just have to play the way we were playing from the beginning. So it’s a matter of finishing what we started. We had a good campaign where we lost once and we have a good record at home, so we just have to go for a win. We will not settle for a draw. No. When you play at home you have to try to win and make the country proud. We are not going for anything less than a win, we just have to produce the best so that we go to Egypt …. we are going to deliver.”

The match has generated so much interest that a full house is expected at the 60 000-seater stadium and Musona expressed confidence that the team will be as good as they have been all along.

“The supporters can expect the performances that we have been producing in all our home games and I think they are looking forward to watch the game and see us qualify. We promise them that we are going to give our best and try to win the game and qualify to Egypt.”

Forward Kuda Mahachi and his Orlando Pirates teammate Marshall Munetsi arrived an hour before Musona.

United Kingdom-based defender Tendayi Darikwa is the only player yet to report for camp.

Darikwa is scheduled to arrive in the country today to link up with the rest of the squad.