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Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe national sevens rugby team, the Cheetahs got into camp in Harare yesterday ahead of their departure for the Africa Cup to be played in Kampala, Uganda on Friday and Saturday.
Fine tuning sessions for the Cheetahs will be held at Harare Sports Club until the team departs for Uganda on Wednesday. The Africa Cup is also serving as the 2018 Sevens Rugby World Cup qualifier where the finalists will book a place at the tournament to be staged in San Francisco, United States of America.
Cheetahs coach Gilbert Nyamutsamba named his final squad of 12 players for the trip to the east African country. Led by South Africa-based Hilton Mudariki, the team has Ngoni Chibuwe, Shingirai Hlanguyo, Nelson Madida and Mkhululi Ndlela who have never played at an Africa Cup before.
Missing from the Cheetahs is the experienced trio of speedster Tafadzwa Chitokwindo, Gardner Nechironga and Shayne Makombe. Nyamutsamba indicated that they chose to give Chitokwindo a break since he has just recovered from injury, Makombe recently joined a French club while Nechironga is turning out for his team, Raiders in South Africa.
Nyamutsamba said while he would have wanted more tournaments with tough opponents prior to the Africa Cup, he has to do with what they had.
“I would have wanted to get more tournaments and would have wanted to have taken part in at least one tournament that featured the higher tier teams, having said that I am happy that we managed to utilise what was provided to us, I am a true believer of “doing the best with what you have,’’ Nyamutsamba said.
The Cheetahs last month took part in the Zambia International Sevens where they were beaten in the final by the home team as well as the Maseru Sevens in Lesotho last weekend where they defeated Zambia to win the tournament.
Zimbabwe have been drawn in pool B, where they will tackle Madagascar, Senegal, Botswana and Mauritius. Pool A has Uganda, Tunisia, Morocco, Zambia and Ghana. The top eight teams at the end of the opening day will proceed to the quarter-finals.
Last year, the Cheetahs, under the mentorship of former player Daniel Hondo had a disastrous outing at the Africa Cup staged in Nairobi, Kenya. Zimbabwe finished fifth at the tournament which was won by Uganda.
With Kenya deciding not to take part in this year’s Africa Cup as they have already qualified for the World Cup, the threat to Zimbabwe’s qualification is from Uganda, Namibia and Tunisia.
Zimbabwe Cheetahs squad for Africa Cup Sevens in Uganda
Hilton Mudariki(captain), Biselele Tshamala, Lucky Sithole, Tapiwa Tsomondo, Scottie Johns, Stephan Hunduza, Ngoni Chibuwe, Shingirai Hlanguyo, Njabulo Ndlovu, Hilton Mudariki, Mkhululi Ndlela, Nelson Madida
Coach: Gilbert Nyamutsamba
Team manager: Donald Mangenje — @Mdawini_29
Online Reporter