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Snodia Mikiri
MICHAEL TAPERA believes Zimbabwe has a chance to cap their return to the Cosafa Cup regional tournament with a trophy.
Tapera’s second-half strike was enough for Zimbabwe to collect maximum points in their opener against Comoros at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in South Africa last week.
The Warriors are back in the regional tournament after a three-year hiatus.
Winning their opening match and grabbing a goal has left hi with big dreams.
Apart from winning the Cosafa Cup as a team, he wants to win the Golden Boot award as an individual.
“We have high chances of winning this cup,” he said.
“We want to bring the Cosafa Cup home. I am also targeting the Golden Boot.
“We have a very good squad. Everything is possible. We have to keep our heads high and keep on working hard.”
The Warriors had last won a match at the Cosafa Cup in June 2019 and Tapera feels the win against Comoros was long overdue.
“It feels so good to play for your country and give them (Zimbabweans) the much-awaited win,” he said.
“The country was banned, and we last won four years back. It’s high time we show our hunger and change the script.
“The goal is to bounce back to our winning ways and to be consistent in winning.”
He said playing with others who understood him was a plus for him at the Cosafa tournament.
This comes after the Warriors coach, Jairos Tapera, assembled a team dominated by local players.
“The players are not new to me. When we are on the off-season break, we play together socially with most of these players,” he said. “That is the main reason we are having good combinations. We know each other well already.
“We understand almost every player’s play, and that is a plus on our side. Understanding each other is key in football.”
The Warriors will face Zambia today and Tapera said they were not intimidated by any team at the tournament.
Online Reporter