D-Day for Warriors

The match kicks-off at 7pm.

It might have been two decades since Reinhard Fabisch’s Dream Team arrived in this country on a mission to try and qualify for the 1994 World Cup in the United States but many, among the mature, would vividly remember the violent events that marred their battle at the National Stadium in Cairo and forced Fifa to order a replay on neutral territory in Lyon France on April 15, 1993.

Once the playing field was conducive for the Warriors to compete, they fought gallantly and eked out a 0-0 draw against the Pharaohs.
A different class of Warriors will, however, be flying the country’s flag in Alexandria tonight with the late Fabisch’s fellow German coach, Klaus Dieter Pagels, electing to rebuild the national team from rookie players some of whom are only playing for their country for the first time at any level.

The likes of Roderick Mutuma, Silas Songani, Partson Jaure had until Pagels arrival on the scene not previously represented their country at junior or senior level.
Pagels’ young Turks must also use their raw talent to try and defy the odds that are staked against Zimbabwe.

Skipper Denver Mukamba and his troops will go into battle tonight attempting to become only the second Warriors team to beat the Pharaohs after 10 meetings between the two sides.

The only other team to have beaten Egypt in a World Cup qualifier was Fabisch’s team that won 2-1 at the National Sports Stadium in December 1992, and since then the pendulum has swung in the Pharaohs’ favour even in international friendlies.

Two previous visits to Cairo on World Cup missions yielded 1-0 and 2-1 wins for the hosts even though the latter result was the one that was annulled by Fifa.
In fact, in the previous meetings between the two sides, Egypt have four wins the Warriors one and four others yielded draws.

In the five international friendlies between the two teams between November 1995 and January 2006, the Warriors currently rated 100 in the world and 25 places down the ladder from Egypt, managed just one draw.

While the crowd trouble at the National Stadium in Cairo in 1993, forced Fifa to nullify the result and switch the game to Lyon, political unrest in the Egyptian capital has forced authorities to only take the game to Alexandria but also restricted the number of fans that would be allowed in to watch the game to a maximum of 10 000.

As was the case in 1993, the Warriors will have another German in charge but unlike the Class of 20 years ago, which had a galaxy of foreign-based professionals, Pagels has cast his net on the domestic scene where at least four of the locals — defenders Ocean Mushure, Augustine Mbara and Partson Jaure and midfielder Silas Songani — look certain to start tonight’s battle.

Songani seemed a shock choice ahead of Belgium-based Ovidy Karuru if the combinations at training are anything to go by while another surprise was the decision to entrust the holding role to Archford Gutu.

Despite the odds that appear staked against his team, which even a doubting nation back home has given little chance, Pagels was an ocean of optimism as the Warriors wound up their preparations.

The tall German coach also had his team’s spirits boosted by the return to training of chief striker Knowledge Musona, who had been fighting to shake off a flu bug and first choice goalkeeper Washington Arubi, who had injured his finger during training on Saturday.

Pagels said he had also used the Warriors training camp here to psyche his players against feeling intimidated at the prospects of facing the Pharaohs arguing that “they are like any ordinary team’’.

The Zifa technical adviser said he had emphasised to Mukamba and his teammates that they needed to forget about the Pharaohs’ past achievements, including being crowned seven-time African champions.

Egypt, just like Zimbabwe, are on a rebuilding phase after they suffered the ignominy of missing back-to-back Nations Cup tournaments in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea last year and the 2013 edition in South Africa.

Pagels said he had been satisfied with what he had seen during training and would be praying that his charges implement the same when they take on the Pharaohs.
“I think we are really in good shape and the players are focused on the match now.

“Like any other match we have to go in there and fight hard. If they can go in there and do what they have shown in training then I am optimistic that we can do it,’’ Pagels said.

In between his training sessions on the field, Pagels has also taken time to go through video footage of the Pharaohs’ previous matches with his team including Egypt’s recent international friendlies against Chile and Qatar away, which were more meaningful than their embarrassingly one-sided 10-0 triumph over Swaziland here last Friday.
“I have told them not to think about Egypt but to think about themselves and about our own strength.

“History does not play football, it is how you apply yourselves on the day of the match that matters.
“We have been trying to build the players’ self confidence and I have shown them DVDs of Egypt’s previous matches and they know we have to go into the game with our heads high and try our best’’.

Pagels also spoke about his relief at having veteran goalkeeper Arubi back in training.
“Washie (Arubi) is back in the same shape like before, he had complained of pain but he is really a strong guy and Knowledge has recovered and the doctor (Nicholas Munyonga) has worked very well on him.

“I think the unity in the team has been helping and now they know they can achieve a lot if they continue to be friends and help each other.
“But like I said we must not go into the field and hide just because it is Egypt, we must not fear anything,’’ Pagels said.

Despite being favourites on the basis of a 100 percent start to the Group G qualifiers, the Pharaohs insist they are treating the Warriors with greater respect than Sihlangu whom they trampled on.

Egypt’s American coach Bob Bradley had been singing a gospel of treating the Warriors with respect and caution despite Zimbabwe having slumped to the bottom of the group following the 0-0 draw between Mozambique and second placed Guinea in Maputo, which gave the Mambas only their second point while the Sylie Nationale have four.
Bradley, who coached his native country to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, is seeking a similar feat with the Pharaohs and successive wins over Guinea and Mozambique have laid the platform for his team to advance to the final qualifying phase.

But lying in ambush is a Warriors side that appears left with nothing much to play for but could turn on the heat in the group if they post a rare win over the hosts.

Probable Zimbabwe team:
Washington Arubi, Partson Jaure, Ocean Mushure, Augustine Mbara, Lincoln Zvasiya, Archieford Gutu, Silas Songani, Denver Mukamba, Knowledge Musona, Khama Billiat, Abbas Amidu.