Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO Chiefs coach Thulani Sibanda says they are excited by the presence of the team’s two players in the provisional Warriors squad for the Chan tournament scheduled for next month.
Chan starts in Cameroon on January 16, with Zimbabwe facing Cameroon in the tournament and Group A opener. Group A also has Mali and Burkina Faso.
Speedy striker Farau Matare and utility player Shadreck Nyahwa are in contention for places in the final Warriors’ squad set to be announced by December 30.
The two impressed the national team’s technical staff in a training match pitting the Warriors and Chiefs on Saturday.
Other players that have been roped into the constantly changing Warriors’ set-up include Denver Mukamba, Expertise Chamboko, Carlos Mavhurume, Tafadzwa Jaravani, Richard Hachiro, Ronald Chitiyo and Munyaradzi Diro Nyenye.
The 27-member Warriors squad broke camp on Sunday for the Christmas holidays and only 23 players will be recalled for resumption of training on December 28.
Sibanda said it’s good to have their players being called up for national duty.
“It’s a huge motivating factor for all the players when they see some of their colleagues getting such opportunities.
Even the mentality of those players that have been selected changes; they become better players. So, we are very excited and we hope they work hard and get into the Chan squad,” said Sibanda.
“We were not sure if the players were following the training programmes during the lockdown, but judging by their performances and the training sessions we have had, all seems good. As a club, we did tests and measurement with the National University of Science and Technology and the results were not far from what we expected.”
Zifa is believed to be negotiating friendlies with Rwanda and Kenya before the Warriors plunge into the Chan finals in Cameroon next month. — @innocentskizoe
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