Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Mtulisi Mafa
3 May 2008
Harare — Young Warriors coach Methembe Ndlovu is hoping that his youth brigade turn the tables when they take on Lesotho in an African Youth Championship qualifier at Gwanzura this afternoon.
Fans will be allowed to watch the game for free as a token of appreciation by Zifa for their support of the national teams. The Under-20 side trail their regional rivals 0-1 after their visit in the mountainous Southern African country ended in a nightmare with two players receiving their marching orders. The Highlanders coach won the Cosafa tournament last year but only a few members of that squad remain as most are now over-age.
Ndlovu's side has been hit by crucial suspensions as highly rated CAPS FC midfielder Archieford Gutu and Noel Shoko were given red cards. "We will be missing Archieford Gutu and Noel Shoko, they were sent off in Lesotho. We are not sure whether Ovidy Karuru will be released, we don't know whether he will be part of the national team to face Namibia. "But we are not really affected by their absence, so we won't make any excuses because this is a developmental side and no one has got a permanent place," he said. With admission free of charge, the Young Warriors can expect a bumper crowd to cheer them on but Ndlovu has warned the teenagers not to bank on crowd support.
"In football the supporters are always important and we hope that they can come and support us. But my players should only rely on things they can control. "We will try our best and we know that results are always important. We will try and achieve the best but we will also look at development," he said. Lesotho has been buoyed by the arrival of Orlando Pirates striker Neo Makama and he could add some clout in the forward line. Makama has also had a trial stint with Tunisian giants Esperance.
Makama missed the first leg in Maseru and they will be hoping he can knock Zimbabwe out - just like they did in 2004.
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