Young Warriors face Angola

when they date Angola in a Metropolitan Cosafa Under-20 Group D encounter at Molepolole Sports Complex this afternoon.
The Young Warriors, third place finishers in last year’s competition could only manage a point when coming from behind to draw 1-1 with losing finalists Namibia at the same venue last Friday.
Coach Taurai Mangwiro’s boys played second fiddle to an organised and disciplined Namibian outfit on that night but to their credit the Young Warriors did not give up after they fell to an early second half strike from winger Hendrick Somaeb.
Buffaloes striker Roy Mwenga then rose from the bench to head home the equaliser that Zimbabwe living to fight another day.
But this afternoon, the Young Warriors will go into battle knowing that they cannot afford another share of the spoils against a bubbly Angola who are buoyed by their 1-0 triumph over Madagascar in Group D’s opening game.
The Angolans now top Group D and with only one team each from the four groups in the competition advancing to the semi-finals, the Young Warriors class of 2011 knows they could become the first Zimbabwe team in a very long time to fail to proceed to the tournament’s knock-out stages.
Mangwiro, while admitting that his team had struggled for their rhythm against Namibia, also felt the result was “a wake up call for the players and now they know that there no easy games here”.
“Namibia made life very difficult for us. I think they did their homework on us especially on our wingbacks because in the first half they rarely gave space to Willard Kalongonda and Kuda Mahachi.
“We were also second to the ball in midfield but I thought the substitutes we sent in (Talent Chawapihwa and Mwenga) made an impact and in the second half we came back into the game and even the likes of Ronald Chitiyo, who had been subdued in the first half, came into the game and started making more forays upfront,” Mangwiro said.
The Young Warriors mentor, wary of the Angolan threat, also revealed that he would dump the 3-5-2 system that failed to yield a win against the pacy Namibians and use a flat back four of skipper Edwin Nkomo, Proud Zireni, Kalongonda and Mahachi.
Although not happy with his attack of Trevor Mutero and Gabriel Nyoni, Mangwiro said he would only make one change to the team that started against Namibia.
“We were very thin in attack and I think we didn’t get enough clean balls to Trevor and Gabriel so we have decided to have Chawapihwa playing just behind Trevor as part of a five-man midfield that also has Ronald Chitiyo, Charles Mukanhairi, Marvelous Nakamba and Nqobizitha Masuku who I felt had a very good game,” Mangwiro said.
The Monomotapa coach said although the Angolans were on a high after winning their first game and topping the group, “They could be brought down.
“I really fancy our chances of winning this second game. I think the youngsters have learnt from their mistakes and they also know that we have to win this one because a defeat will mean an early exit for us and we don’t want to out at this stage”.
Zimbabwe team:
Tonderai Mateyaunga, Willard Kalongonda, Kudakwashe Mahachi, Edwin Nkomo, Proud Zireni, Charles Mukanhairi, Ronald Chitiyo, Marvelous Nakamba, Trevor Mutero, Nqobizitha Masuku, Talent Chawapihwa.