Online Reporter
Bruce Chikuni, Sports Reporter
FORMER Warriors captain Willard Katsande has thrown his weight behind the surprise return of Knowledge Musona and believes the move has improved the country’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Warriors are set to host Benin at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban tomorrow before traveling to Uyo, Nigeria, to face the Super Eagles five days later.
Musona’s inclusion in the Warriors squad, which was announced by coach Micheal Nees last Wednesday, sent shockwaves throughout the country’s football corridors.
Katsande, who once captained Musona in the Warriors team, feels the move is justified.
“Everyone who loves football should be super excited about Musona’s return to the Warriors team,” he said.
“He brings the required experience, having played at the top level for a long time, which can guide the promising talent in the team.
“His return has given the country the much-needed experience because we lacked his intelligence in our previous fixtures.”
Musona is regarded by some as the second best player to don the Warriors jersey after Peter Ndlovu.
He has an impressive record of 24 goals in 51 appearances for the Warriors.
The forward is also expected to ease the scoring burden on his sibling Walter, who has now scored three goals in his last five Warriors outings.
Katsande believes Musona’s presence will inject life in the Warriors camp.
“His tank still has a lot to offer the country and I’m looking forward to seeing how the coach plans to use him tomorrow,” he said.
“We just have to put all our energy into each game as it comes.
“We shouldn’t be bothered about how other teams are playing. We just need to win our games and see how it ends.”
Zimbabwe have two points from their opening two matches and face a tough task against Benin who are on seven points.
However, Katsande believes the Warriors can get a positive result against Benin.
“If we can start by winning our fixture against Benin and, maybe, get a draw against Nigeria, then we are talking about four points, plus the two we already have in the bag,” he said.
“We are also going to play against South Africa and I believe they are not difficult to beat.
“I have a lot of faith in our coaching department and I believe they have shown what they can do by qualifying the nation to the AFCON finals on their first attempt.”
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