admintwo-week training camp in Europe where they will also play a number of friendly matches against German women’s clubs in Hamburg.
However, the Under-20 national men’s soccer team, which was set to tour Germany together with the Mighty Warriors and were scheduled to follow today, are no longer travelling and their trip has been re-arranged for next year.
The Mighty Warriors tour was funded by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority who forked about US$66 000 towards the purchase of the air tickets.
The Under-20 men’s soccer team were supposed to have played matches with Bundesliga Under-20 teams.
The women’s soccer national team is expected to arrive in Hamburg this afternoon and proceed to Stade, a few kilometres outside Hamburg, where they will be based.
The women’s Cosafa Cup champions left yesterday at dawn aboard an Air Zimbabwe flight to Johannesburg before connecting to Istanbul at 7pm abroad a Turkish Airways flight.
They were scheduled to arrive in Istanbul at 6.30 am.
The team will then connect to Hamburg in two batches with the first group, comprising 23 players, connecting at 8.20 am and arriving at 10.35am while the second group, with seven people, will leave the Turkey capital at 11.15am and arrive at 13.35 pm.
The delegation of 30 people, comprising 25 Mighty Warriors and four technical members, was led by Zifa technical director Nelson Matongorere.
Zifa’s German technical advisor Klaus Dieter Pagels, who facilitated the tour, is already in his native country and will meet the team.
Before leaving yesterday, Matongorere said Pagels was expecting the team.
“We have been communicating with him and we have updated him that we had a bit of challenge which has changed the itinerary.
“But we have e-mailed him the new arrangements that will see teams arriving in two batches and he will be at the airport to meet everone,” said Matongorere.
The Mighty Warriors’ matches will begin on Tuesday and their high-profile match will be on Saturday against Germany Students national team.
In the other three matches they will be competing against women’s league teams.
On the days where there are no matches, the Zimbabwe side will be engaging in intensive training under German technical persons.
The Zimbabwe delegation is also expected to visit the widow of former Warriors’ coach Reinhard Fabisch, who lives in Hamburg.
The Mighty Warriors are also using the two-week training camp to fine-tune their preparations ahead of the All-Africa Games in Maputo from September 3 to 18.
Zimbabwe has been drawn in a Group of Death where they will face South Africa, Tanzania and Ghana.
And gaffer Rose Mugadza has opted for a purely youthful side for this tour, dropping veteran midfielder and former captain Nomsa Moyo.
Mugadza has added four new players to the team which lifted the Cosafa Cup on home soil.
Making it into the fold are Pamela Khumalo, Samkelisiwe Zulu, Ntombiyelanga Ndlovu and Ntombizodwa Sibanda.
Glen View High school student Michelle Vambe, who won a short-term scholarship in Germany, is also part of the delegation.
The Germany Olympic Committee, working in conjunction with Zifa offered an opportunity for the girls aged between 16-18 and Vambe won the preliminary assignment where participants told their story and how sport changed their lives.
In Germany she is expected to meet other participants from other countries with partnership with Germany.
Mighty Warriors
Onai Chingawo, Chido Dzingirai, Manyara Mandara, Rudo Neshamba, Talent Mandaza, Ruvimbo Mutyavaviri, Marjoury Nyaumwe, Erina Jeke, Kuda Basopo, Tsitsi Mairosi, Pamela Khumalo, Nokuthula Ndlovu, Samkelisiwe, Eunice Chibanda, Emmaculate Msipa, Nobuhle Majika, Ntombiyelanga Ndlovu, Rufaro Machingura, Violet Bepete, Patience Mujuru, Sheila Makoto, Ntombizodwa Sibanda, Danai Bhobho, Elizabeth Chaparangana, Michelle Vambe.
Officials: Rosemary Mugadza (coach), Yohanne Chikaola(assistant coach), Nkululeko Dhlamini (goalkeepers’ coach), Charity Munemo (team manager), Nelson Matongorere.
Online Reporter