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Augustine Hwata Senior Sports Reporter
WARRIORS coach Ian Gorowa is convinced that the international friendly tie against Mozambique at Barbourfields on Sunday has given him a rough idea of the players he should consider to prepare for the African Nations Championship finals.Zimbabwe are the seeded team in Group B where they will battle against Morocco, Burkina Faso and Uganda at the finals in South Africa next year.
On Sunday, Gorowa registered his first victory at home since he took over as Warriors coach when his team beat the Mambas 2-1 in Bulawayo.
Dynamos striker Simba Sithole gave Zimbabwe the lead before the visitors evened the scores through Alberto Antonio but Ali Sadiki struck the winner in the second half.
Two weeks ago, Gorowa had taken his locally assembled band of players to Tanzania for a hastily-arranged international friendly that ended in a goalless draw.
“In terms of our preparations for the CHAN games, I think the game against Mozambique really helped us in some way,” said Gorowa yesterday.
“The focus of the game against Mozambique was to see the other players whom I had not got a chance to assess.
“We used locally-based players and this is now the off-season,” said Gorowa.
Gorowa, who has kept his unbeaten run as Warriors coach, said he is now hoping to call the final 28 players to prepare for the finals.
The coach’s initial plan was to take his players to South Africa for a 20-day training camp, straight after the game against Mozambique.
However, Zifa have been battling financial challenges and indicated they are unlikely to have the money to fund a camp in foreign lands.
Zimbabwe have been to the previous two editions of the CHAN finals but failed to make it beyond the group stages and now expectations are high that the Warriors will progress to the knockout stages.
However, they are in a very tough group.
“I have been going around the country to see some Premier Soccer League games. I have used the other players in the other games and from what I have seen, for now, I feel I should be meeting with my technical team to select the 28 players to go into camp,” said Gorowa.
The former Black Rhinos and Dynamos striker is working with Dynamos coach Callisto Pasuwa, Mkhuphali Masuku, Richard Tswatswa and Jairos Tapera who is currently with the Under-20 team in Lesotho for the Cosafa championships.
“There could be one or two things that need to be sorted out before we could go into camp but we should be selecting 28 players and from these, five will be dropped before we leave,” said Gorowa.
Gorowa said his troops did well to give him his first home win as coach after his previous matches at the artificial surface at Rufaro ended in draws.
“The guys gave a good account of themselves in the match and even Mozambique acquainted themselves well in the game,” he said.
Mozambique will also be heading to the CHAN finals where they will play tournament hosts South Africa in Group B alongside CHAN debutants Nigeria and Mali.
Zifa have announced that the Warriors could be playing Libya away on December 18 but the match remains in doubt as Gorowa is keen on having an uninterrupted training period instead of a preparatory friendly.
Players like Hardlife Zvirekwi, Silas Songani, Kuda Mahachi, Patson Jaure, Eric Chipeta, Munyaradzi Diya and Simba Sithole could fancy their chances of going to the CHAN finals.
Online Reporter