Chronicle Editor
Grace Chingoma, Harare Bureau
YOUNG Mighty Warriors coach Garthly Chipuka is bullish that his newly assembled junior team should be able to compete favourably when they meet Botswana in a Under-17 World Cup football qualifier first leg this evening in Gaborone.
The match kicks-off at 6pm at the National Sports Stadium.
The women’s Under-17 World Cup will be staged in India in November.
And this is the first time that the junior women’s national football team will be taking part in the qualifiers of the global tournament.
ZIFA this year entered both the Under-17 and Under-20 teams to participate in the World Cup qualifiers following the resolution by the association’s leadership that women’s football is a strong brand which deserves to be promoted from an early stage.
ZIFA president Felton Kamambo believes the nation’s potential to participate at the World Cup can be achieved by a women’s team compared to the men’s version.
And the team which travelled to Botswana from Bulawayo on Wednesday is in high spirits as they are set to feature in their first international competitive match.
The bulk of the team are 15-year-olds, and a number of 16-year olds. Fourteeen-year-olds Nosipho Dube and Thando Sibanda from Mpopoma High also made the trip to Botswana.
Yesterday the team was set to train at the match venue and adapt to playing under floodlights.
Although the junior side managed to train for barely two weeks at Eveline High where they were camped for close to two weeks, the coach Chipuka said they are optimistic.
“The problem is it’s a new team which has never featured in a competitive game and at the same time we have no idea on how our opponents are. But we did all the principles of the game but we don’t know how they will apply themselves under game situation.
“We managed to play against an Under-16 boys select team and the girls applied themselves well although we lost the match. I was happy with the performance and hope they will do the same against Botswana.
“We are playing under floodlights and we will train under those conditions.
“The temperatures are around 30 degrees but go down as the night progresses,” he said.
The only minor setback was that the technical team was forced to leave two key players who are yet to secure travel documents.
Hopefully, by the time the team hosts Botswana here they would have secured the passports.
The return leg is on the weekend of January 24 t0 26.
Zimbabwe women’s Under-17 Squad
Goalkeepers: Tariro Chirume (Faith Drive), Thandiwe Msipa (Mpopoma).
Defenders: Nokukhanya Mercy Ndlovu (Burrow Jets), Aaliyah Tanatswa Utumbe (Cyclone Stars), Emmaculate Zulu (Sodbury Spiders).
Midfielders: Lucia Chisvo (Faith Drive), Priscilla Marikosi, Tinotenda Taurai, Nosipho Dube (Mpopoma), Morelife Nyagumpo.
Strikers: Beverly Fadzai Nyandoro (Sodbury Spiders), Lebhukosi Nichole Dongo (Harare City), Thando Sibanda (Mpopoma), Praynence Ebilister Zvawanda (Cyclone Stars), Melody Chikore (Faith Drive), Sisa Ndebele, Deon Gonya.
Technical team: Garthly Chipuka (head coach), Anne Konje (assistant), Boga Ndebele (assistant), Peter Nkomo (goalkeepers coach), Mthokozisi Moyo (doctor), Same Chaurura (physiotherapist), Sizolwethu Dube (manager), Alice Ruzana (kit manager).
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