Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE Warriors’ quest for a historic showing in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals start today when they hunt for the Lions of Teranga at the Bafoussam Omnisport Stadium Kouekong.
Zimbabwe will be hoping to do well and become the first Warriors to go beyond the group stages of the Afcon finals in their fifth appearance in the continental football extravaganza.
Zimbabwe are facing Senegal for the third time in the continental finals, having played the Lions of Teranga in their opening match of the 2006 Afcon edition in Egypt and in the 2017 finals in Gabon.
The Warriors then lost both matches to Senegal by identical 2-0 score lines. In the Egypt finals, Henri Camara and Issa Ba struck for The Lions of Teranga and in 2017, when Zimbabwe were making a return to the finals after a decade’s absence, they went down to goals from Sadio Mane and Henri Saviet.
Liverpool star, Mane, is part of the team that will face the Warriors this afternoon.
However, Senegal have a threadbare squad of 17 players available for selection for this afternoon’s game after nine retained positive tests for Covid-19 and are in isolation.
Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, striker Famara Diedhiou, captain Kalidou Koulibaly, Saliou Ciss, Bamba Dieng, Mame Baba Thiam, Pape Matar Sarr, Nampalys Mendy and second choice goalkeeper Alfred Gomis all tested positive, while Ismaila Sarr, who Senegal insisted join their squad from Watford in England, is not available because of injury, as is Abdoulaye Seck.
No Zimbabwean player tested positive for the virus and coach Norman Mapeza would be fancying his chances of registering an upset win in their opening match for the very first time in the Warriors’ Afcon history.
In 2004, Zimbabwe lost their tournament opener 1-2 to Egypt and two years later they fell 2-0 to Senegal. In the 2017 finals’ first match, they drew 2-2 against Algeria and fell 1-0 to hosts Egypt in their last Afcon finals.
But this afternoon, the Warriors, ranked 31st in Africa and 121st in the world, will have to rise to the occasion if they hope to spring a shocker against the continent’s number 1 ranked side and 20th best nation in the world.
Mapeza feels they have done all they could to prepare the players’ mental strength and are not intimidated by the Lions of Teranga, as they will wait for the right moment to strike.
“We’re ready now. I think it’s all about going out there with a positive mindset. However, we need to be cautious in our approach,” Mapeza said.
With the majority of Warriors’ players in their maiden Afcon finals, skipper Knowledge Musona, United States of America-based defender Teenage Hadebe, veteran defender Onismor Bhasera and attacking midfielder Kuda Mahachi are expected to play key roles in Zimbabwe’s hunt.
Twenty-four-year-old striker Prince Dube could turn out to be the Warriors’ trump card should he bring his A-game.
France-based forward Tino Kadewere, veteran midfielder Thabani Kamusoko and Alec Mudimu are also among the players
Mapeza can bank on to ease the younger players’ nerves.
Warriors squad
Goalkeepers: Petros Mhari, Martin Mapisa, Talbert Shumba
Defenders: Peter Muduhwa, Alec Mudimu, Teenage Hadebe, Godknows Murwira, Gerald Takwara, Gilroy Chimwemwe, Bruce Kangwa, Onismor Bhasera
Midfielders: Kelvin Madzongwe, Thabani Kamusoko, Kudakwashe Mahachi, Ishmael Wadi, Never Tigere, Kundai Benyu.
Strikers: Admiral Muskwe, Prince Dube, David Moyo, Knowledge Musona, Tinotenda Kadewere — -@ZililoR
Online Reporter