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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS’ Bruce Kangwa and his Chicken Inn counterpart Kudakwashe Mahachi who have been called up into the senior national team camp ahead of the trip to Zambia for the second round second leg African Nations Championship qualifier set for the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola on Sunday, have promised to make a difference.
Both players have one thing in common, a deadly left foot and are good on wings although Mahachi is more effective when attacking while Kangwa can do both the defending and attacking.
It’s the third time for the Highlanders left back to get a national team call-up, the first one was in 2009 when the Warriors were still under the legendary Sunday Chidzambwa with his second coming just last year for a trip to Zambia. Mahachi, one of the 2012 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Soccer Stars of the Year finalists, makes his maiden appearance in the senior national team colours and said he will do his best to justify the coaches’ trust in him.
“Naturally I am happy to be called into camp for the Zambia match and since its my first time, I promise to do my best,” said Mahachi who joins his Chicken Inn teammates, skipper Felix Chindungwe, leading marksman in the local league Tendai Ndoro and gritty holding midfielder Danny Phiri.
He said he was looking forward to get a starting place in the epic tie on Sunday which Zimbabwe needs at least a scoring draw to go through to the finals in South Africa next year.
“All I need is to get that chance and once I grab it, I want to jealously hold on to it and prove that it was never a mistake to call me up,” said the ginger haired Mzilikazi born who has a tendency of making many a defender look stupid.
Kangwa said he too relishes the chance of representing his country in a very crucial match.
“I will certainly give it my very best because it’s every player’s dream to play for his country. I am thrilled and looking forward to the encounter,” said Kangwa one of the most consistent players at Highlanders in the past two seasons.
Kangwa will join other Highlanders players goalkeeper Munyaradzi Diya, Milton Ncube and Warriors skipper Masimba Mambare.
Meanwhile, the Warriors will have to rise from the underdog tag to punish the Zambians in their own backyard on Sunday.
Chipolopolo are confident of an easy win over their neighbours and at the moment statistics favour them but stand-in Warriors manager Patrick Mutesva believes the confidence could work against Zambia.
“They are so confident of continuing with their dominance over us which I think is very suicidal. In our last three games they have beaten us twice and drawn once but that does not worry us,” said Mutesva in an interview yesterday.
He said morale was high in camp and the boys were looking forward to the match.
“It’s always an advantage to be the underdogs and we are going to fully utilise that tag. We have a clean bill of health for now and we hope it stays like that until match day,” said the Warriors manager.
There was no training yesterday to allow the boys to recover from the Sunday match as well as Monday’s training.
Mutesva said it’s business as usual today with training set for Gwanzura Stadium.
Zimbabwe drew 0-0 in the first leg at Rufaro Stadium and need a scoring draw or outright win to qualify.
Online Reporter