adminGeophrey Sifani Sports Reporter
MIGHTY Warriors’ coach Shadreck Mlauzi has urged his players not to take the friendly match against South Africa’s Banyana Banyana lightly as it will mark the beginning of their Rio dreams.
The women’s national soccer team will face their South African counterparts on January 27 at a venue yet to be decided as both countries kick start their preparations for the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.
The Olympics will be held from August 5 to 21 in the huge seaside city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
The Mighty Warriors will be the first local national football team to take part in the Olympics after dumping traditional African giants Cameroon out in the final two-legged qualifier in October.
After losing 1-2 away in Yaoundé, the Mighty Warriors beat the West Africans 1-0 in the return leg in Harare to qualify 3-2 on the away goals’ rule. Rudo Neshamba was the hero of the second leg, as her first half strike secured the women’s team the historic qualification.
Mlauzi said they would go into camp on January 12 in Bulawayo.
“I would like to make it clear that this is not a friendly match for us. It’s serious business because that’s the start of our Rio dream. Preparations will be very serious as the girls have to shake off the rust after being inactive for sometime and the technical team will be ready to help them,” Mlauzi said.
“We’re going to concentrate on the physical fitness of the girls so that it reaches the levels it was at in October. We will also implement new strategies that we hope will help us beat South Africa and improve our style.”
Mlauzi said they had crafted an ambitious road map that will see the Mighty Warriors playing several friendly matches against top opponents in the run up to the Olympics.
Online Reporter