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Petros Kausiyo in CAPE TOWN, South Africa
SUPERSPORT United assistant coach and former Zimbabwe international Kaitano Tembo has backed the Warriors to finally rise to the occasion and overcome Burkina Faso to book their place in the African Nations Championship quarter-finals. The Warriors will face the Stallions in a final Group B assignment at Athlone in a match which will get underway at 7pm tonight.
Tembo, a former Zimbabwe vice-captain who was part of a fine generation that ended the country’s wait for a Nations Cup debut in 2004, said he was convinced that the Warriors had the pedigree to clear the Stallions hurdle despite Ian Gorowa’s men having been the most sterile side in Group B.
“I think they have been playing very good football, tactically organised but it is their decisions in the final third that has been lacking.
“It is also very disappointing that Morocco and Zimbabwe are the best teams that should have qualified and somehow I think they have been very unlucky not to get at least a win each.
“It is not like our team has not been creating chances and as a coach myself I feel for Ian because it is very difficult to change much because they have not been playing badly,’’ said Tembo.
Tembo suggested that the Warriors would also have to throw some of the caution they exhibited in the first two games and “go all out on attack against Burkina Faso’’.
“They have to go all out on attack but at the same time you do not compromise your defence but maybe we can still play with four at the back, four midfielders and two out and out strikers and hopefully they can take their chances this time around,” said Tembo.
“I think central midfielders like Tawanda Muparati need to venture forward more… We have not seen a lot of him in the box because he has been sitting in the middle. He is technically gifted but he is not creating opportunities but he has sat back.
“We have no problems defensively, we have been very solid especially the centre backs Jaure and Chipeta and when we lose possession I am happy that we have always maintained our shape and we have been quick to win the ball back.
“But it is when we go forward that we have lacked composure and players like Ngoma and Simba Sithole need to be more composed in the final third than they did in the first two games’’.
Tembo said the Warriors needed to be wary of the Stallions physical game but insisted Zimbabwe could use their pace and trickery to their advantage.
“It is not going to be an easy night because the pressure is more on us than Burkina Faso.
“Burkina Faso are also going to be very physical but defensively I have noticed that they are not organised and our wingers need to use pace to capitalise on those wide areas,” said Tembo.
“It should not be about Kuda Mahachi only creating those chances from the wings.
“I like the way Hardlife Zvirekwi has been playing but the only problem has been the decisions that he makes when he up there in attack, he needs to make the right decisions when he reaches that final third and Milton Ncube should also try to venture forward more when the opportunity arises.
“But I think we have better chances of going through because we are playing together as a team and like I said Zimbabwe and Morocco have been the group’s best teams and should be the ones that should have qualified much earlier,’’ Tembo said.
Burkina Faso coach Brama Traore who has drawn eight his players from the country’s perennial Champions League campaigners ASFA Yennenga, including 33 year-old skipper and goalkeeper Mohamed Kabore, might have managed just a point from their two games but, unlike the Warriors, they have found a way to score goals and found the target once in each of their games against Uganda and Morocco.
The Stallions also showed their fighting spirit when they weathered a first half storm from Morocco in which the Atlas Lions threatened to run away with a massive win after scoring in the opening minute and grabbed a late equaliser.
Online Reporter