Warriors in tough battle

The match, which will bring the curtain down to the regional tournament which started in Lusaka on July 6, will kick off at 3pm.
After the Warriors ran out 3-1 winners in the final of the same competition at Rufaro in 2009, the two rivals whose countries have a rich history and share seven Cosafa titles between them, will fittingly put a lid to the tournament that returned to the Southern African football radar this year following a four-year hiatus.

Although they are the defending champions, the Warriors find themselves wearing the underdog tag ahead of this afternoon’s big battle.
While the Warriors have changed several coaches since Sunday Chidzambwa presided over that triumph in 2009, Chipolopolo have not only retained Herve Renard but have grown in profile with the Frenchman leading them to the African Cup of Nations success in 2012. But the Cosafa Cup is a different ball game and both sides have had to call on home grown talent to drive them to regional glory.

Mutasa, a trusted lieutenant of German coach Klaus Dieter Pagels, yesterday reckoned that Zambia would be the favourites but rallied his players to believe in themselves if they are to join the Classes of 2000, 2003, 2005 and 2009 who have won the Cosafa before.

The FC Platinum coach also felt that the Warriors would need “to play as a unit’’ if they are to emerge victorious in the final.
“We have had some problems with injuries but we are happy that apart from Tiko (Nicholas Alifandika) and Lot (Chiwunga) the others have come back.

“We are playing a Zambia side that is very strong physically and it is how you express yourself that will determine the outcome of the game. They have good individual players and we have to ensure that they do not get much of the ball and we have had to psyche our players to believe in themselves.

“They have to believe that they can bring the cup home to Zimbabwe and when you believe in yourselves a lot of things will become easy,’’ Mutasa said.
The former Dynamos coach said he was also aware that Zambia would have their vociferous fans behind them.

“Zambia will have the 12th man but if we play good football that crowd will appreciate us because fans want teams that play well.
“We also know that Zambia will try to come hard on us seeking an early goal but if we can absorb that pressure then take the game to them on the counter attack, it could work in our favour,’’ Mutasa said.

The Warriors were jittery in defence in the semi-final final against Lesotho in which they found themselves trailing after just three minutes but the return of CAPS United wingback Hardlife Zvirekwi on the right side of the rearguard could help bring some stability.

Zvirekwi’s replacement against Lesotho, Prosper Matizanadzo of Buffaloes, was a ball of nerves in the semi-final.
“We are not going to sit back and allow them to just come at us. We have to take the game to them and the best way to do that is to play a pressing game and in any case when you are playing a team that is technically gifted like Zambia it requires you to press them every time,’’ said Mutasa.

“If you look at the stadium and the atmosphere that will be there in the final you will see that we really need leaders on the pitch, players who can show more responsibility and make the job easier for coaches as well.”

Pagels sprung a surprise when he named his starting team after their final workout with Monomotapa forward Ronald Chitiyo and Harare City’s Silas Songani relegated to the bench.

Instead, the Warriors coach chose Monoz rookie Nicholas Guyo and Last Chibwiro of Black Mambas to start ahead of Chitiyo and Songani. There is no place in the starting team once again for talented FC Platinum winger Ali Sadiki with his club mate Charles Sibanda being deployed to operate from the left side of midfield while Chibwiro will come in from the right and Guyo has been tasked with being the second striker behind Tendai Ndoro when the Warriors go into attacking mode. Pagels, never short of surprises, defended his selection and said they were purely tactical and said he was hopeful that his team will play a disciplined game.

“We should not just focus on trying to score without playing tactically in defence,’’ Pagels said.
The Warriors coach would also need to monitor the movements of wingbacks Ocean Mushure and Zvirekwi who have often been caught off guard because they join the attack at the same time.

With Chipolopolo defender Jimmy Kulenga having been a revelation at this tournament and instrumental in the 3-1 destruction of Mozambique in the quarter-final, Mushure will have to be on high alert.

Renard made no secret of his wish to add the Cosafa title to the Nations Cup success and said although Zambia had beaten Zimbabwe 2-0 in Lusaka in a friendly two months ago he would not reach much into the result now. Nchanga Rangers forward Bornwell Mwape scored twice when Zambia beat Zimbabwe in April in a game to commemorate the Gabon air disaster.

“We won the Africa Cup in 2012, we have to win the Cosafa in 2013. We played them two months ago and beat them 2-0 in Lusaka but it was a friendly and the competition is now different. The only thing I want is a full stadium like when we played Ghana, Lesotho and Sudan (In the World Cup qualifiers).

“If people come and are pushing behind their team it will be difficult to beat us,’’ Renard said.
But Mutasa wants the Warriors to take a cue from Bafana Bafana who played a tactical game and shut out the Zambians for 120 minutes before losing 3-5 on penalties.

Zimbabwe
M. Nyamupanedengu, H. Zvirekwi, O. Mushure, E. Chipeta, F. Chindungwe, D. Chafa, L. Chibwiro, M. Mambare, T. Ndoro, N. Guyo, C. Sibanda.