adminpreparations for the tournament tomorrow with open trials at Harare Sport Club.
Having qualified for the junior world tournament last winter after winning the Junior Africa Cup on home soil, the Young Sables will re-group but with a host of other players who feel that they have what it takes to be in the team.
Coach Brighton Chivandire yesterday said the Young Sables’ trials will start at 8am tomorrow running through to midday and the technical team will trim the side to 40 players before going into camp on Monday.
The former Sables coach added that players that were part of the qualifying side will have to work hard if they are to make it back into the squad as they are going for the trials with an open mind and no guarantees can be given.
“We are looking at players that were born between January 1 1992 and December 31 1993 and the trials are open to those players who feel that they can be better than the players we had during the qualifiers.
“Some were not able to make it due to educational commitments, some were in universities abroad and probably some had injuries and could not make it for the qualifiers and that is the reason we want to have a look at whoever we have.
“Some players might also have become better in the game from the time we selected the last squad and by now they could be better than what they were at first,” said the former Old Georgian’s coach.
After the trials tomorrow, 40 players are expected to be picked for a camp that starts on Monday running through to Friday and this is when the squad will again be trimmed down to the last 25 players who will re-group at the beginning of 2012.
“However, those players that made it for the Africa Cup and those that might have travelled to Georgia for the JWRT earlier this year must know that we, as the technical and selection team, are going into these trials with an open mind.
“So it is as good as we are starting to select the squad from scratch and no one is guaranteed of a place in the squad.
“Players have to earn their place in the squad,” said the former Old Georgians coach.
Some of the players that were part of the team that qualified for the JWRT after beating Namibia in the final at Prince Edward School include lock Graham Logan, Lenience Tambwera, Farai Jijita while Cory van Rensburg missed the qualifiers.
And, in picking the squad that will be going into camp on Monday, Chivandire will not be doing this alone as he will do that with the helping hand of Under-20 head of technical Rick Kershaw, assistant coach Godwin “Jaws” Murambiwa and Garry Hewitt.
“Coaching is not a one-man game as we know the game is fast evolving every time so I will select with the help of the Under-20 technical team led by Rick (Kershaw) and Godwin (Murambiwa).
“I am glad that former Sables greats such as the current Sables coach and former captain, Brandon Dawson, and Alex Nicholson will be part of this selection team and we are also hoping that
Mzingaye Nyathi will make a guest appearance for the selection process,” said Chivandire.
The Zimbabwe Under-20 side has qualified for three successive tournaments.
Online Reporter