adminJOHANNESBURG — WARRIORS coach Ian Gorowa hopes his second African Nations Championship home match within eight days will be more successful than the first. The Warriors tackle Zambia in Harare this weekend in a second round, first leg fixture and the overall winners qualify for the 2014 tournament. Zimbabwe secured a last-four place in the region-based qualifiers despite an embarrassing 1-1 draw with minnows Mauritius.
Having romped to a 3-0 win on the Indian Ocean island, Zimbabwe were expected to celebrate the home debut of former national team striker Gorowa with a big victory.
But it took them more than 80 minutes to score through captain and midfielder Masimba Mambare and the visitors grabbed an equaliser just before full-time.
“We must do better against Zambia to reach the finals,” admitted Gorowa, who took over when the contract of German Klaus-Dieter Pagels was not renewed.
“The pressure of playing at home got to us and now we face tougher rivals,” he said of a Zambian team seeking a second win over Zimbabwe inside three weeks.
Hosts Zambia overcame Zimbabwe 2-0 in the final of the regional Cosafa Cup during July with Alex N’gonga and Kabaso Chongo scoring direct from free-kicks.
Goalkeeper Maxwell Nyamupangedengu came under fire for both goals, and axing him from the squad was one of the first decisions taken by Gorowa.
Pagels produced good football but bad results during his brief tenure, and Gorowa wants to continue a crisp passing style in a Championship for home-based stars.
“We want to use the wings and make crosses — I believe that is the way football should be played,” Rusape-born Gorowa (41) stressed to reporters.
French coach Herve Renard took Zambia to third place four years ago in the maiden Championship and believes Evans Kangwa can be the catalyst for another finals appearance.
Substitute striker Kangwa, back from six months of trials in Spain, scored the second goal in a 2-0 home win over Botswana that sealed a second-round place.
“Although not fit enough yet to last 90 minutes, Evans has a lot of talent and after scoring a hat-trick in a warm-up game I knew he could make an impact off the bench,” explained Renard.
Mozambique have home advantage first in a clash with Angola that brings together the two Portuguese-speaking countries in southern Africa.
They also met at the Cosafa Cup with an Apson Manjate goal just before half-time settling the plate final in favour of the Mozambican Mambas (snakes).
Star striker Manjate misses the first leg in Maputo after being red-carded during a 3-0 away loss to Namibia last weekend that took the tie to penalties.
Mozambique had a much easier time in a preliminary tie against Seychelles, scoring six goals, while Angola won 1-0 at home and away to Swaziland.
Gabon trail Cameroon 1-0 ahead of a first round, second leg clash in Libreville delayed by a short Fifa ban on Cameroon over state interference.
Jacques Haman was the Yaounde match-winner two weeks ago, composing himself after being fouled to net the resulting penalty kick.
The overall winners advance to the January 11-February 1 finals in South Africa and the losers get a second chance in a play-off with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Burkina Faso, Burundi, Congo Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Ghana, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria and Uganda have qualified and South Africa are automatic participants as hosts.
Online Reporter