Harare — Resurgent Zimbabwe get a test of character when they descend on the mountain kingdom of Lesotho on Saturday seeking to make a late surge for a maiden berth at the African Cup of Nations finals when the two teams clash in a Group Six qualifier.

Inspired by national pride, COSAFA Castle Cup holders Zimbabwe are expected to throw everything that they have during the encounter as they also seek to avenge the humiliation they suffered at the hands of the Likuena (the Crocodiles) in January.

The Warriors go into this Sunday's match languishing at the bottom of the four-team Group Six, having won one and lost two of their games so far.

Lesotho seized the pool leadership after their surprise 2-1 triumph over their opponents this weekend.

Ghana and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the other two teams in the group lying second and third respectively, meet in the other match as the battle for the group's two tickets to Bamako hots up.

Mali will be hosting the finals of the continent's most prestigious biannual soccer showcase next year.

The Basotho began their campaign by letting their 3-1 lead slip in the last 10 minutes at home to Ghana's fading Black Stars, but gained the top slot of the pool with another 1-1 away draw against the DRC and their famous victory over Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.

The Warriors got their only points from a scrappy 3-2 victory at home to the DRC, while their other loss, a 4-1 thumping, was against Ghana.

This time round however Zimbabwe hope to continue riding on their new-found verve following their victories against Burkina Faso and Malawi in their last two matches in the World Cup qualifiers.

This may be the last chance for Zimbabwe's dream of a first ever appearance at Africa's premier soccer tourney in 2002 because failure to get at least a point in Maseru will spell doom for a country visiting a fired-up Lesotho, still buoyed by last week's 1-0 win over regional powerhouse South Africa in a friendly.

A full-strength Zimbabwe face the Basotho with all guns blazing, with skipper Peter Ndlovu of English Division One outfit Sheffield United expected to spearhead the Warriors' campaign.

Ndlovu, whose club has complained to the Zimbabwe Football Association that he was suffering jet lag because of his frequent travels for the country's assignments, is one of the nine foreign-based stars in the Warriors' squad.

Austria's SV Ried player Norman Mapeza, ironically the one who conceded the penalty that gave Lesotho their only victory over Zimbabwe, is back after two matches on the sidelines.

Of the rest of the foreign-based legion, Edelbert Dinha, Edzai Kasinauyo, Alois Bunjira, Benjani Mwaruwaru, Wilfred and William Mugeyi come from South African sides while Fabien Zulu plies his trade in Botswana.

The Likuena, no longer a punchbag on the African soccer front, are set to bank on the exploits and experience of Masupha Majara and Lebojoa Mphongoa to confirm their status as a rising force to reckon with.