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Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
WARRIORS coach Norman Mapeza has named five debutants in the 30-member squad that is expected to go into camp tomorrow to prepare for the Africa Cup of Nations finals.
The Nations Cup will run from January 9 to February 6 in Cameroon.
The Warriors are in Group B together with Malawi, Guinea and Senegal.
The senior national team gaffer, Mapeza, will select his final 23 players on December 31 before the team departs for West Africa.
The coach was affected by injuries to key players but he has called in some débutantes to cover that gap.
Cranborne defender Tapiwa Sibanda, South Africa Division One club JDR Stars midfielder Temptation Chiwunga, Chicken Inn midfielder Shepherd Mhlanga and FC Platinum midfielder Panashe Mutimbanyoka are the new players that have been roped in by Mapeza.
Goalkeeper Talbert Shumba has bounced back into the team. The Free State Stars goalie last featured for the Warriors in the World Cup qualifying match against Ghana at the National Sports Stadium in October.
Shumba made a shocking howler in that game, when he failed to stop the effort from Thomas Partey, a rising shot, from a free-kick, which zoomed over his head.
SuperSport left back Onesimor Bhasera, who turns 36 on January 7, is the oldest player in the squad.
He also returns to the AFCON finals after missing out on the 2019 finals that were held in Egypt. His last Nations Cup dance was in Gabon in 2017. But the ageless and hardworking defender has worked his way back into the national team’s fold.
The Warriors goalkeeping department is entirely new at the AFCON finals after all the goalminders who did duty in Egypt were overlooked.
The trio of South Africa-based goalminders George Chigova, Edmore Sibanda and Elvis Chipezeze represented Zimbabwe in Egypt.
In defence, only two players have been retained from the team that travelled to Egypt.
Alec Mudimu and United States-based Teenage Hadebe are the only defenders that will have the second bite of the cherry in Cameroon.
Wigan Athletic defender and captain Tendayi Darikwa, who was in the 40-member squad that was registered with CAF, has since excused himself from national duty, citing personal commitments.
Only two players that were part of the midfield in Sunday Chidzambwa’s 2019 team have been retained. The duo of Kudakwashe Mahachi and Thabani Kamusoko are the only survivors of the previous AFCON team.
Skipper Knowledge Musona will lead Zimbabwe to his third AFCON finals, having first captained the team under coach Callisto Pasuwa at the Gabon finals in 2017, before returning with Chidzambwa in the previous edition.
Lyon forward, Tinotenda Kadewere, will be making his third appearance too. Golden Arrows striker Knox Mutizwa is also set to make his second AFCON appearance.
Luton Town forward Admiral Muskwe has once again been included in the Warriors provisional squad.
In the previous edition, Muskwe was among the few players that were dropped by Chidzambwa at the eleventh hour. The England-based striker, and his family, were heartbroken that the former Leicester City player missed the continental show-piece.
The duo of Prince Dube and David Moyo are also set to make their debut appearances at the AFCON finals if they make it into the final squad.
Dube has gate-crashed into the provisional squad following a lengthy period on the side lines. He returned to action a week ago in the Tanzanian league. But Zimbabwe have been granted a special waiver to register fresh players that were not part of the 40-member provisional squad registered with CAF last month.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Petros Mhari (FC Platinum), Martin Mapisa (FC Zamora), Talbert Shumba (Free State Stars), Taimon Mvula (Dynamos).
Defenders: Peter Muduwa (Highlanders), Alec Mudimu (Torpedo Kutaisi), Takudzwa Chimwemwe (Nkana), Jordan Zemura (AFC Bournemouth), Tapiwa Sibanda (Cranborne Bullets), Godknows Murwira, Frank Makarati (Dynamos), Gerald Takwara (Venda Football Academy), Teenage Hadebe (Houston Dynamo), Bruce Kangwa (Azam), Onismor Bhasera (SuperSport).
Midfielders: Temptation Chiwunga (JDR Stars), Kelvin Madzongwe (FC Platinum), Bill Antonio (Dynamos), Thabani Kamusoko (Zesco United), Never Tigere (Azam), Kuda Mahachi (SuperSport United), Shepherd Mhlanga (Chicken Inn), Ishamel Wadi (JDR Stars), Panashe Mutimbanyoka (FC Platinum).
Strikers: Admiral Muskwe (Luton Town), Knox Mutizwa (Golden Arrows), Prince Dube (Azam), David Moyo (Hamilton Academical), Knowledge Musona (Al-Tai), Tino Kadewere (Olympique Lyonnais).
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