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From Petros Kausiyo in NDOLA, Zambia
TWENTY years after Zambia dented their African Cup of Nations hopes with a sucker punch at the National Sports Stadium and a month after they dethroned them as Cosafa champions, Zimbabwe’s Warriors will be seeking a measure of revenge when they face Chipolopolo in a CHAN decider here today.
The Warriors and Chipolopolo clash in a battle of the Zambezi African Nations Championships qualifier at Levy Mwanawasa stadium in a game from which one team must qualify for the finals in South Africa next January. The Warriors are seeking a third successive appearance at the CHAN tournament, having been to the inaugural event in Cote d’Ivoire in 2009 and the 2011 competition in Sudan.
Zambia were conspicuous by their absence from the Sudan tournament having been at the first CHAN finals in Cote d’Ivoire and their French coach Herve Renard is a man on a mission to qualify for three major tournaments this year, the Cosafa, CHAN and the 2014 World Cup.
After being restricted to a 0-0 draw at home Ian Gorowa and his men, who flew into Ndola on a plane chartered by Zifa president Cuthbert Dube yesterday afternoon, are hoping that they can find their range today and dump Zambia out of the tournament.
The Warriors are also hoping to become the first team to beat Chipolopolo at their new hunting ground and end Renard’s treble hopes. Gorowa has been telling everyone who has cared to listen that despite being held 0-0 at home by Zambia, Chipolopolo are a team that can beaten.
He was relieved to hear news from the medical crew that midfielder and captain Masimba Mambare had been certified fit to play in this crucial game.
The 41-year-old coach said injuries and withdrawals for some players like Tendai Ndoro and Simba Sithole, who left camp to attend trials, had left them facing some challenges and with Dube once again using his personal resources to fly the Warriors to Zambia, it enabled the coach a chance to travel with 20 players.
One of those players is tall Dynamos goalkeeper George Chigova, who seems to have caught Gorowa’s eye and could find himself in the team today after gate-crashing into the travelling party. “In and out is better because the boys can sleep early and prepare for tomorrow,” said Gorowa as he hailed Dube’s decision to send them on a charter flight.
“Because of the injuries and the withdrawals we had we were not too sure what to do but I am happy Mambare has been cleared fit to play now.
“The others are just minor knocks which are normal but Mambare was looking bad.
“I wanted the goalkeepers to train together because you never know what we will do on match day . . . I would need to sleep over the team and then talk about it in the morning’’.
Gorowa has also been emphasising to his team on the need to be alert when defending from set pieces where the Zambians have looked threatening. “Everybody is now aware that during the Cosafa we were weak from set pieces and we don’t want to concede from those situations but a lot of emphasis has also been put into attack and we have noted some weaknesses in the Zambian defence which we hope to capitalise on.
“They (Zambia) are playing at home and I have told these guys that take the game to them, let us hold our own and that the first 20 minutes are going to be critical for us and we have to stifle them. We know that there is going to be a full house in the stadium but the best way to silence their fans is to ensure that Zambia do not get much of the ball by keeping it away from them.
“We are happy with the turf, it is a bit bumpy but playable and we have been training on grass at Gwanzura’’. The hosts were dealt a blow to their preparations following revelations that two of their star players will not be available for varying reasons.
Defensive midfielder Kondwani Mtonga, who had a good game at Rufaro, is out after picking two yellow cards in the competition while attacking midfielder Mukuka Mulenga has left for South Africa after completing his move to Mamelodi Sundowns. While Mulenga left Zambia on Thursday to start life in the Super Diski, another forward Alex Ng’onga, scorer of one of the two goals in the Cosafa final, returns after serving suspension for being sent off in the first round against Botswana.
Despite missing two of his key players, Renard was still confident of qualification.
“The morale in camp is high. We will not leave any stone unturned.
“All players are focused and working hard towards a positive result.
“Victory for us is inevitable, the players are high in spirits,’’ Renard said.
Although the Warriors are expecting some of their fans to travel to Ndola today, they had the company of former Black Rhinos chairman Engelbert Rugeje and CAPS United shareholder Farai Jere on board with the pair coming to offer their support.
Jere was also in Zambia last month for the Cosafa Cup while Rugeje, who was Gorowa’s boss during the coach’s playing stint at Rhinos, reckoned that the Warriors “need the whole nation’s support for this cause’’.
Online Reporter