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Harare Bureau
ZIMBABWE’S Warriors will make a welcome return to their favourite hunting ground, Rufaro, where they will host Mauritius in an African Nations Championships first round, second leg qualifier on Sunday.The Warriors have traditionally done very well at Rufaro, a more compact venue that also brings them closer to their legion of fans.
Although Zifa have often preferred the more spacious National Sports Stadium, the average fan finds Rufaro easier to access and in the process they often create an intimidating atmosphere for visiting teams.
Zifa chief executive, Jonathan Mashingaidze, acknowledged as much yesterday when he revealed that the Chan encounter against Mauritius would be staged at the old Mbare venue.
“I can confirm that we are at Rufaro on Sunday for the Chan qualifier against Mauritius. We are appealing to the fans to come in their large numbers and support our team of home-based players,” said Mashingaidze.
“By virtue of its accessibility Rufaro has been the choice.
“Although we won in Mauritius we would want the nation to come and give our boys the vital support they need so that they complete the first hurdle in their journey to the Chan finals.”
Mashingaidze said the tight fixture schedule in September meant that the Confederation of African Football had to break with the tradition of staging fixtures over two weeks.
“The qualifiers are being played back to back because there is a tight programme with the World Cup qualifiers also coming up in September,’’ Mashingaidze said.
The Warriors, without a win in their worst World Cup qualifying campaign, will complete their Group G fixtures with a home date against equally winless Mozambique at home.
Zimbabwe, with just a point from their 0-0 draw against Mozambique in Maputo, find themselves anchoring the group that has already been won by former African champions Egypt who progressed to the last qualifying round to determine Africa’s representatives at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
After crashing out of the World Cup qualifiers in embarrassing fashion, the Warriors have now turned their attention to the Chan tournament with Zifa pinning high hopes on homegrown talent to secure a third straight qualification to Africa’s second tier soccer showcase.
The Chan tournament is a competition reserved only for those players who play in their national leagues and the Warriors were at the inaugural tournament in Cote d’Ivoire in 2009 with Sunday Chidzambwa as coach.
Former Highlanders gaffer, Madinda Ndlovu, then took charge of the Warriors in Sudan two years later but in both editions the senior team could not proceed beyond the group games.
Now newly-appointed coach Ian “Dibango’’ Gorowa will be hoping to become the third coach to take the Warriors to the Chan tournament and the former Moroka Swallows mentor has insisted that it is important that Zimbabwe become part of the teams that will line up for the competition in South Africa next January.
Gorowa began his Chan qualification bid with a convincing 3-0 triumph over Mauritius in the first leg in Curepipe at the weekend and as they returned home last night the coach and his troops know they now have to finish the job at Rufaro on Sunday and crucially start a mission to redeem themselves in the eyes of their supporters.
This is because the fans had virtually lost faith in the Warriors after their poor World Cup show, which includes the worst home defeat in the qualifiers – a 4-2 drubbing by Egypt at the National Sports Stadium.
The National Sports Stadium was also the venue of their opening World Cup Group G assignment, which ended in agony after a 1-0 defeat by Guinea.
But against Mauritius the Warriors will return to Rufaro hoping for a change of fortunes and eager to start an operation to restore their decent record at home.
Mashingaidze also gave a major hint that should they prevail over Mauritius, the Warriors could also host their second round Chan qualifying assignment at Rufaro.
The Warriors are poised to face old rivals Zambia in their final Chan qualifier with Chipolopolo favoured to advance past Botswana in their first round tie.
Chipolopolo were held 1-1 by the Zebras in Molepolele in Botswana and the two sides will face off again at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola where the newly-crowned Cosafa champions rarely lose.
“We are looking forward to engaging whoever will win between Zambia and Botswana because we are targeting qualification for the Chan 2014 after missing out on the Nations Cup in Mzansi earlier this year.
“As Zifa we would also want to assure our new technical team our full support even though we continue to operate on very limited resources,’’ Mashingaidze said.
Sunday’s match at Rufaro will also present Gorowa with his first dance with the Warriors home crowd as coach.
Gorowa endeared himself with the fans during his playing days as a bustling striker at Black Rhinos and Dynamos but his coaching career had until his appointment to the Warriors job been restricted to the South African Premiership.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter