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Zimbabwe: Warriors, Zebras Square Off
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 Published by the government of Zimbabwe |
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The Herald (Harare)
26 March 2008
Posted to the web 26 March 2008
Robson Sharuko
Gaborone
THE Zimbabwe Warriors flew into the Botswana capital yesterday for their first friendly international - featuring their European-based players - in 10 months as their preparations for the 2010 World Cup and Nations Cup qualifiers continued to gather momentum.
The Warriors take on the Zebras of Botswana in what should be a competitive international friendly here tonight. The match starts at 7pm.
Coach Valinhos immediately took his players into a late night training session soon after their arrival.
It's been 10 months now since a Warriors team - featuring their European-based players - played a friendly international.
That was at home at Rufaro in June last year when the national team took on Burkina Faso just a few days before their make-or-break 2008 Nations Cup tie against Morocco in Casablanca.
Then the Warriors - who were under coach Charles Mhlauri - needed to win that game against the Atlas Lions to breathe life into a campaign that was going terribly wrong.
Short on inspiration and confidence, the poor Warriors were held to a 1-1 draw by Burkina Faso before they then slumped to a 0-2 defeat at the hands of the Atlas Lions.
That defeat in Casablanca ended the Warriors' interests in the 2008 Nations Cup and the national team limped out of the qualifying campaign - missing the continental showcase for the first time in four years.
A lot has since changed since that gloomy winter afternoon.
Mhlauri has since left the scene, a new coach Valinhos is now in charge but Benjani is still captain of the Warriors ship.
Valinhos has had one international friendly since his arrival in January - a hastily-assembled low-key tie against Bafana Bafana's locally-based players in Germiston two weeks ago.
The Brazilian coach was found wanting in that game as the Warriors slumped to a last-gasp goal scored by their own defender James Matola deep into stoppage time.
Stand-in skipper Gilbert Mushangazhike - impressive all night that day - fired the Warriors into the lead with a deflected effort from a free-kick but the Warriors - with their backs to the wall for the entire second half - collapsed under the Bafana Bafana onslaught before that last-gasp goal.
Valinhos' technical shortcomings were exposed that day by his decision to field two defensive midfielders - Justice Majabvi and Lionel Mtizwa - in the starting line-up and then playing them for the entire 90 minutes.
But that game is gone. Even Mtizwa is not in this squad.
But Majabvi - who played probably his best game in Dynamos colours in the comprehensive victory over Mozambican side Costa do Sol at Gwanzura on Sunday - is in the team.
Whether he keeps his place in the national squad - now that Esrom Nyandoro is in the team - is an issue that Valinhos will have to sort out ahead of tonight's tie.
Nyandoro has been a key member of the Warriors but has been missing from action since that failed campaign to take us to the 2008 Nations Cup finals in Ghana.
The gritty midfielder scored the Warriors goal in that 1-1 draw against Morocco at Rufaro.
Nyandoro remains a key member of the team and his return - after such a lengthy absence - should bring the stability that was lacking in that game against Bafana Bafana.
Skipper Benjani Mwaruwari also makes a return to the team after a lengthy absence and the Manchester City marksman should provide the ammunition that is wanted to give a cutting edge to the attack.
It's virtually a full strength Zimbabwe side with Vusa Nyoni, Honour Gombami and Zvenyika Makonese all available for national duty.
There was an alibi for Valinhos when the Warriors crashed to that defeat in South Africa - after all he did not have his European-based players at his disposal.
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The Brazilian has his own supporters who believe that he should only be judged with time and when he fields his best possible team.
He will not field his best possible team tonight - he might probably have wanted Peter Ndlovu, still scoring goals in the twilight of a great career, Onismor Bhasera, getting better with each passing month, and veteran wingback Harry Shereni here.
He might have wanted to get a glimpse at the attacking talents of Takesure Chinyama who is making waves in Poland.
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