adminThe Warriors are looking at preparing adequately for their final 2013 African Cup of Nations qualifying showdown against Angola scheduled for September and October and they believe that at least two high-profile friendlies would stand them in good stead for those epic clashes.
Rahman Gumbo’s men will now get the first opportunity to test their preparedness when they visit Zambia for a date with the African Champions at the Levy Mwanawasa stadium in Ndola on August 8.
According to a letter from Football Association general secretary George Kasengele to his Zifa counterpart Jonathan Mashingaidze, Chipolopolo are reciprocating their visit to Harare last year when the Warriors played them at Rufaro.
Mashingaidze had written to Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi seeking friendly matches as part of Zifa’s efforts to help coach Gumbo and his men to prepare for their September 9 clash against the Palancas Negras in Harare.
“This letter serves to confirm that the Football Association of Zambia has agreed to play an international friendly match with your team on reciprocal basis and that the match be played at the new Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola on 8th August at 1800hrs.
“The Football Association of Zambia will look after your accommodation and meals for three days up to a maximum contingent of 30 people.
“The Zimbabwe Football Association will be responsible for other arrangements including passage into Ndola,’’ read part of the letter from Kasengele.
Mashingaidze said they had accepted the invitation by their Zambian counterparts and were relishing another clash between the Warriors and Chipolopolo.
The two teams’ last meeting in an international friendly at Rufaro in August last year yielded a 2-0 win for the Warriors with midfielders Willard Katsande and Khama Billiat finding the target for the hosts.
Then, just like now, Zimbabwe were using the match to prepare for their 2012 Nations Cup qualifier against Liberia while Zambia were also involved in the campaign for places at the tournament staged by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
But it was Zambia who eventually made it to the finals where they stunned the continent by beating favourites Cote d’Ivoire on penalties in the final.
The Warriors find themselves in a similar situation this time around as they battle for a place among Africa’s best that will converge in South Africa.
While Zimbabwe will be using the match to prepare for their showdown with Angola, the Zambians will also take the opportunity to warm up for their final Nations Cup qualifier against Uganda. FUZ president Kalusha Bwalya has already warned that both Zimbabwe and Zambia would need to work harder in order to qualify for the 29th African Cup of Nations finals in South Africa next January.
Zifa, Mashingaidze also said, were looking at having another match for the Warriors on August 15 as they believe those that having two games would give Gumbo a chance to assess his team’s shortcomings and work on them before Angola’s Palancas Negras arrive here.
The Warriors will, however get the first part of their preparations underway early next week when they take part in a Four-nation tournament in Gaborone, Botswana.
Despite being forced to pick a depleted squad, Warriors coach Gumbo believes the Four-nation tournament in Botswana will provide him with a chance to assess more local players and build a youthful reserve side for the senior team.
The tournament which will also feature Lesotho and Mozambique will be staged in Gaborone on July 16-17.
But with Zifa also taking cognisance of the need to ensure the domestic Premiership is not disrupted agreed to have Gumbo limit his selection to at least two players per club.
Gumbo said yesterday that he would now only focus on the local players and indicated that he would not be calling on the services of midfielder Denver Mukamba and striker Abbas Amidu who have just joined Bidvest Wits and Black Leopards in South Africa respectively.
The former FC Platinum coach also said he had deliberately focused on players who have been turning out for the national Under-17 and Under-20 sides as a basis from which to form the Warriors development squad.
Players such as Hardlife Zvirekwi, Ronald Chitiyo, Farai Mupasiri, Willard Kalongonda and Francisco Zvikumbaware are billed as the future Warriors and Gumbo believes throwing them in such games like the Four-Nation tournament in Botswana would help them ease into the senior side without much pressure.
“Some of the players I have picked have been with the Under-17 and Under-20 squads and we have to remember that there is also need to build a development squad which can always provide a fall back position for the Warriors. This not peculiar to the Warriors, even in rugby and cricket you get the national team playing as President’s XV or Goshawks, he said.
and sometimes the national cricket team can play as Zimbabwe A which will be a mixture of seasoned players and the fringe players and that is what we are trying to do now.
“So we are not looking at pleasing everybody but at fulfilling the vision that we have for the national team,’’ Gumbo said.
Online Reporter