Warriors coach Ian “Dibango” Gorowa has urgedhis local ensemble of the national team to relax and freely express themselves ahead of a Chanqualifier match against the Islanders thisafternoon, #gdn has learnt. The match, to be played at the King George V, kicks off at 1pm Zimbabwean time. The success-starved team is bidding for a third consecutive appearance at the African Nations Championships to be hosted by South Africa next year and the qualification route will see the Warriors booking a date with the winner of the Zambia/ Bostwana match should they see off the Mauritian challenge as is expected. Club M, as the Islanders love to call themselves, have traditionally struggled against the Warriors, winning just once — on 29 August 1982 — and losing five times in the six attempts that the two have met. Speaking after yesterday’s workout at the match venue a relaxed Gorowa, who emphasised the need to qualify for the Chan, said his charges were ready for the challenge. “Of cause we have had a few training sessions, but I must say we are now ready for the game. While top on our agenda is undoubtedly the need for a victory, I have told the boys to relax, go out there and express themselves to their best ability and enjoy the match. “We have also been sharing the little knowledge we have about them (Mauritius) with the hope that it will help us make it difficult for them, but we will definitely learn more about their play and abilities during the game and again use it to our advantage when we get back to Harare for the return match,” said the former Warriors attacker. In earlier interactions with The Sunday Mail Sport, the man who cut his coaching teeth in neighbouring South Africa said the Warriors will need to be wary of the Mauritian potency in attack where left-footed star player Stephan Pierre operates from. “They attack very well, particularly through the middle and on the left side . . . they have three good attacking players, but the underlining factor is we try — as much as possible — to concentrate on what we have,” he noted. Football standards here are very low and coach Akbar Patel’s charges, who failed to proceed to the knock-out stage of the Cosafa Cup, was warmly received back home as — according to a local daily — having put up a “brilliant fight with a massive 4-0 win over Seychelles and a narrow 1-2 loss to the mighty Zambia”. It is against this self-rated brilliant performance that Patel has also kept faith in the squad that did duty in Zambia where he reckons he got a good preparatory test ahead of the Warriors test. “We are using against Zimbabwe the same group that played in Zambia. The Cosafa Cup gave us a good springboard for this match. The two games exposed us to the demanding competition and pace of the game at this high level. “We hope our people will come in numbers and support us against this formidable Zimbabwe team,” said Patel through an interpreter. Although Gorowa could not confirm his starting line-up, indications from yesterday’s team building exercises by the technical team — that also includes Kalisto Pasuwa, Richard Tswatswa and Jairos Tapera — pointed to experienced and inform goal-minder Tafadzwa Dube wrestling the number 1 jersey from Munyaradzi Dhiya. Dread-locked Felix Chindungwe appeared to have made way for uncompromising 22-year-old Partson Jaure, who is set to be partnered by Hwange’s Eric Chipeta at the heart of defence while glory-minded wing-backs Hardlife Zvirekwi and Augustine Mbara are sure bets on either wings of the defence. Gorowa appears to have learnt from his predecessor’s failed attempt at the famed tiki- taka and is allowing players — where necessary — to carry the ball and embarking on penetrating runs on the strength of Devon Chafa’s pivot. Captain Masimba Mambare, who competed against Tawanda Muparati, will be slotted in central attacking midfield sandwiched by débutante and inform Highlanders winger Milton Ncube together with Silas Songani of Harare City. In midfield Gorowa could still count on Charles Sibanda’s diagonal runs off the main striker Nelson Maziwisa, whose game has taken a knock following a blistering start to the 2012 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League campaign. Probable Warriors starting XI T Dube, P Jaure, E Chipeta, A Mbara, H Zvirekwi, D Chafa, M Mambare, S Songani, M Ncube, C Sibanda, N Maziwisa #gdn
Posted on: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 05:46:04 +0000
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