Chronicle Editor
Blessing Malinganiza
ZIMBABWE international defender, Teenage Hadebe, has said that friendly matches are vital for team-building and for assessing players without pressure.
Hadebe made the comments ahead of the Warriors’ trip to the Four Nation Tournament in Lilongwe, Malawi, also featuring Kenya and Zambia.
The tournament will be used to prepare for the resumption of 2026 World Cup qualifiers in June. Hadebe said that friendly matches should be organised against other countries, to enable the squad to remain sharp and develop.
He added that he was excited to be part of the Warriors squad and was always ready to help his team to succeed.
Currently on a short contract at Turkish side Konyaspor, Hadebe believes this is a great opportunity for the coaches to work on combinations.
The Warriors will be under the guidance of FC Platinum and Ngezi Platinum Stars coaches Norman Mapeza and Takesure Chiragwi, who were appointed for this tour.
“They give the coaches an opportunity to assess the players’ performances. We need these preparations, but I just hope they keep organising similar games even against other countries so that when we get to the World Cup qualifiers, we will be sharp,” he said.
“It’s been long since the team played friendly matches, which I believe can be key in building combinations within the squad.
“Currently, our squad is in a transition phase where we have new blood coming in, so it is important to have the guys with more experience guiding and leading the new guys in games like these.
“Our opponents have been doing well and we will have something to learn from them.
“Zambia and Malawi made a good statement in the 2023 Afcon and I will be looking forward to facing them to see how well we can respond. Not taking away anything from Kenya as well, they will also be an interesting opponent to face.
“Facing other opponents is better than us just getting in camp by ourselves week in week out, which doesn’t give a true reflection of the team’s progress.”
He said football had evolved and there were no longer small teams, and they were going to treat each of their three opponents with respect.
Hadebe said it’s always an honour to be part of the Warriors squad at any given stage and he was ever ready to defend the country’s flag.
“Honestly, it’s always exciting to be part of the Warriors squad at whatever level you can imagine.
“It’s important for me to come and help the team. I don’t mind who is coming and who I will be playing with in the national team.
“Our country has talent and we have proved that over the years. We have players who are doing good in Europe and in the local league. What is best is just to have the best squad available,” said Hadebe.
Online Reporter