adminEddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE international midfielder Marvelous Nakamba has been impressed by interim Warriors coach Norman Mapeza and believes the Warriors are on the right path to start their 2019 AFCON qualifiers with a positive result.
Mapeza has been handed the responsibility to take charge of the game against Liberia at the National Sports Stadium next Sunday.
The coach also overhauled the team, which represented the country at the 2017 Nations Cup finals in Gabon, by leaving out former skipper Willard Katsande and strikers Cuthbert Malajila, Nyasha Mushekwi and Matthew Rusike.
But, despite the Warriors free-fall on the world rankings, Nakamba has urged Zimbabwe to focus on the coming AFCON assignment. Zimbabwe and Liberia yesterday continued tumbling down the rankings after the Warriors slipped five places to number 115 in the latest FIFA rankings.
The West Africans crashed 10 places down the ladder to 151st. The Warriors have struggled to break into the top 100 in the past few years and are now 32nd in Africa.
The Lone Star dropped to 46th. The other teams in Group G of the 2019 AFCON qualifiers, Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo (Brazzaville), are well placed in the top echelons of African football.
DRC, who are fifth on the continental rankings, rose two places up the global ladder to 39th position. Congo are 19th in Africa despite dropping one place to 85th in the world. However, Zimbabwe have kept their focus on the coming match against the Liberians who, on paper, appear the weakest team in the group.
The Warriors started training this week at the Yadah Complex under interim coach Mapeza. And Nakamba, one of the foreign-based players expected to play a key role in the campaign, said they should not be distracted by their woes and those of their opponents.
“The training has been going on very well. The intensity is very high and also the coaching system is top class,” said Nakamba. “Each and every game is always important. Whichever team that we play, I think we have to be 100 percent focused and also try to maintain concentration.
“Football is improving fast the world over and there is no team that can be taken as the weakest.” Nakamba had a successful campaign with Vitesse Arnhem in the just ended season in which they won the Dutch Cup to earn the right to play in the Europa League next season.
The former Bantu Rovers man is a prized asset for the Dutch side where he was voted the club’s second best player after Dutch striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel.
“I am just here to play football. The fact that there is almost a new set of players in place, it’s always like that in football. Even at our clubs we always have changes and everything like that so we just have to focus on the Liberia match,’’ said Nakamba.
“There are four teams in the group so we have to do everything and try our best to get positive results so that we finish top of the group.’’ The Warriors yesterday welcomed Tendai Ndoro and George Chigova before they took a break to pave way for the domestic Premiership games set for the weekend.
Team manager Wellington Mpandare said they will regroup on Sunday evening and then resume training on Monday afternoon.
Warriors’ talisman Knowledge Musona who featured, in a Belgian Cup final triumph with his side KV Oostende on Wednesday, is expected on Sunday together with the South Africa-based duo of Khama Billiat and Onismor Bhasera who are involved in the CAF inter-club competitions.
The match between Zimbabwe and Liberia will be handled by Ugandan referee Alex Muhabi with compatriots Mark Ssonko and Musa Balikowa as the two assistants.
Mashood Ssali will complete the team as the fourth official. Meanwhile, Liberia coach James Debbah will intensify his side’s preparations when they host Sierra Leone in an international friendly match on Monday. Both countries will use the match as part of the build up to the opening matches of their 2019 AFCON qualifying round matches.
Sierra Leone will host the Harambee Stars of Kenya in Freetown next Saturday. The Lone Star have been training for the last few weeks in Monrovia and the coach is expected to call in his foreign-based players next week.
Among the many foreign-based professionals expected in the squad include Spartak Moscow’s Sylvanus Nimely, Alex Nimely (Stabaek IF, Norway), Anthony Laffor of Mamelodi Sundowns, goalkeeper Boison Wynney de Souza (CD Llosetense, Spain), Dioh Williams (Sweden) and highly-rated Wydad Casablanca striker William Jebor.
Online Reporter