adminNigeria are expected in the capital tomorrow and are bringing a 40 member delegation which has 20 players, 15 supporters and a cabinet minister Omidiran Ayo, who is the head of delegation.
Nigeria have already declared that they would be going to the World Cup and want to win the trophy after losing to 2010 hosts Germany in the final.
The team which wins over the weekend will progress to the last qualifying round as teams battle for the two African slots to the showpiece which will be held in Japan this August.
But the Young Mighty Warriors have refused to throw in the towel and the team, which was in camp for the whole of the Easter holidays, believes they still have an outside chance.
After concluding another session at Rufaro yesterday, the former Mighty Warriors midfielder said there is still hope for the team which found the going tough in Nigeria and failed to score an away goal.
“We are taking this match seriously regardless of the first leg result. We still believe we can also win here. We will attack and get goals, which is what we need.
“We got into camp last Thursday and have been training twice a day with a squad of 27 players.
“We have been working on areas which were exposed two weeks ago and we believe we should have a better game,” said Sibanda.
Yesterday, Women’s football boss Mavis Gumbo said despite the budget hotel in which the Zimbabwean delegation was booked in West Africa they are not going to retaliate and will give the visitors a warm reception.
“We have booked Nigeria at Cresta Lodge and everything is in place to ensure that they are comfortable during their stay here. The Zifa president said we should not react negatively to the bad reception we receive when we travel away and we will continue with our ubuntu.
“You never know, maybe they will also learn from us. As Zimbabweans it is not our culture to be hostile to visitors. We are warm, loving people otherwise we could have booked them at any lodge or a hotel with a single star and they could have still felt at home.
“Our national team, the Mighty Warriors, will also be travelling to Nigeria and maybe they would have learnt how to host a team. We want the return game to be played
in the true spirit of Fifa fair play and we will forego everything we went through in Nigeria,” said Gumbo.
Meanwhile, women’s football representatives from the ten teams which constitute the Super League will meet the Women’s board and the regional chairpersons this weekend in the capital to map the way forward ahead of the start of the league end of this month.
The national women’s league is now branded following the sponsorship by mining firm Marange Resources and clubs are expected to deliberate on the sponsorship package which is believed to be about $800 000.
Online Reporter