adminAugustine Hwata Sports Reporter
THE Young Warriors were handed a relatively easy fixture when the Cosafa Under-20 Championship draw was conducted yesterday, but coach Jairos Tapera was quick to warn his charges against underrating opponents.Zimbabwe have been drawn in Pool D where they will face lightweights Swaziland and Botswana with Tapera hopeful of progressing.
The Cosafa Under-20 Championship will be played in Maseru and Mefeteng with 14 countries set to participate. Pool B, that has Angola, Mozambique and Madagascar, also has three teams while the other groups have four teams.
Defending champions Zambia are seeded in Pool C that also has South Africa, Namibia and Seychelles. Hosts Lesotho, guests Kenya, Comoros and Madagascar make up Pool A for the first round matches set for December 3.
Tapera will have the advantage of watching his rivals when Botswana play Swaziland in Maseru on December 3. The Young Warriors will meet Swaziland on December 4 as the nations play each other in a round-robin format in the first stage with the top team in each pool advancing to the semi-finals.
Because there are only three teams in Groups B and D, the top two sides in these groups will each play one additional match crossing over between B and D.
The top side in Group B will play the second-placed team in Group D and vice-versa. Thereafter, the top team in each of the groups will qualify to the semi-final round.
The semi-finals are scheduled for December 12 and the final two days later on December 14 in Maseru.
“At a tournament you have to expect to meet any other team. But for us this a good draw because I do not think that we should be afraid of Botswana and even Swaziland,” said Tapera.
“We should have good preparations since this is like building a new team and I hope we should start around mid-November so that we get at least two weeks in camp.
“We have to look around for the best players. I hope we should give an opportunity to a lot of players to try for the national team.
“Already I have received enquiries from some hopeful players in the United Kingdom who are willing to pay their travelling costs to come for the trials.
“But assessment does not mean they are guaranteed to get places into the team.”
Draw
Pool A: Lesotho, Kenya, Comoros, Mauritius
Pool B: Angola, Moza, Madagascar
Pool C: Zambia, South Africa, Nambia, Seychelles
Pool D: Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland
Online Reporter