Published by the government of Zimbabwe
19 April 2008
Harare — Four years after their last meeting in the same competition, the Zimbabwe Under-20 team take on Lesotho in an African Youth Championships preliminary round qualifier in Maseru tomorrow, writes Augustine Hwata.
The two sides will clash in the reverse fixture in two weeks' time with the winners progressing to the first round where they meet Egypt in June.
Egypt were handed a bye in the preliminary round and the winner from the Egypt/Zimbabwe/Lesotho game is set to take on either Zambia, Mauritius or Madagascar in the final qualifying round for the championship set in Rwanda next year. Zimbabwe last played Lesotho in the African Youth Championship on October 24, 2004 in Maseru during the final qualifiers for the Benin 2005 finals. The Young Warriors were held to 0-0 draw at Rufaro before losing the return leg 3-0, but launched a spirited bid to the Confederation of African Football, seeking a disqualification for Lesotho.
Then team captain Onismo Bhasera had signed a petition before kick-off alleging that Godfrey Molefe, Matlalepula Mafolo, Teboho Khanyanye, Nicolus Qhobela and Isaka Sekonyera were over age. Caf refused to take immediate action and Zifa ended up withdrawing their weak case following the death of the president of Lesotho's Football Federation with then Zifa chairman Rafik Khan saying it would be inhuman to continue a fight against people in mourning. But as the Young Warriors troop to the field tomorrow, Zimbabwe have high chances of gaining an advantage. The team's preparations have not been rosy as head coach Methembe Ndlovu and his assistant Taurai Mangwiro barely worked with the team.
Ndlovu and Mangwiro will be trying to get to know the players at their disposal since the two coaches were heavily involved with their club commitments at Highlanders and Masvingo United respectively during the time the players were in camp at Churchill High.
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